Visakhapatnam: Ruling YSRC workers gheraoed regional coordinator Y.V. Subba Reddy and disrupted party meeting in Gajuwaka for removing sitting MLA Tippala Nagi Reddy and appointing a new coordinator, Vurukuti Ramachandra Rao, in his place. The incident took place in Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam, when Subba Reddy called for a party meeting to discuss election-related issues. The party workers did not allow Subba Reddy to speak. He immediately walked away from the meeting.
Police personnel were also deployed to prevent any untoward incidents. For the first time in north Andhra Pradesh, the ruling party workers raised a banner of protest over the change of coordinators.
“We treat Nagi Reddy as a hero after he defeated none other than Pawan Kalyan. We wonder how he was removed and an unknown person was appointed in his place who can never get back his deposit,’’ an angry worker told the media.
They also told Subba Reddy that Nagi Reddy was always seen touring in the constituency and successfully conducting all the outreach programmes.
The GVMC corporators also joined the protest and gave an ultimatum to Subba Reddy that they would not work for the party if Nagi Reddy was not given the ticket.
Nagi Reddy tried to intervene and told the workers to follow the orders of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. But the female members of the party snubbed him and did not allow him to speak.
Reports said the protesters also did not allow Subba Reddy or Nagi Reddy to speak in the meeting. As the situation turned tense, Subba Reddy left the meeting hall in a hurry.
In the morning, party leaders loaded in 40 cars went to Subba Reddy’s residence in Yendada in Visakhapatnam and tried to convince him to renominate Nagi Reddy. They told him that Nagi Reddy worked hard and that
the new candidate was not suitable for the assembly elections. They also gave him an ultimatum that if the party high command remained stubborn, they would be forced to quit the party.
Meanwhile, former MLA of Gajuwaka, Ch. Venkataramaiah, told Subba Reddy that if the coordinator was appointed on a caste basis, he deserved the place where his community (Kapu) dominates the Gajuwaka constituency.
