Denial of party ticket to Dadi Veerabhadra Rao for MLC post appears to have brought a major dissident activity in Visakhapatnam where there is a vertical rift in the party between Ch Ayyannapatrudu, his follower Peela Srinivas on one side and former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murty on the other.
After Dadi, Leader of the Opposition in the Council was denied ticket, his followers started leaving the party. Prominent activists of the TDP, including Anakapalle TDP president Naga Jagadish submitted resignations.
Meanwhile party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu started a trouble shooting exercise. He called MPs Nama Nageswara Rao and Sujana Choudary to Krishna district where he is camping and asked them to talk to Dadi Veerabhadra Rao and convince him.
A crisis crept in the TDP due to the selection of candidates for the elections to the Legislative Council. Dadi Veerabhadra Rao was unhappy that he was denied the ticket. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu has selected Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, MA Salim and Samantaka Mani for the three seats the TDP would be able to win, out of the 10 seats that had fallen vacant. However, it was a shock to Dadi Veerabhadra Rao as he has been functioning exceedingly well as the Leader of the Opposition in the Council and was sure to get the party nomination. He was also loyal to the party since its inception. Dadi, a former film writer, is also known for his oratorical skills.
Still he was not chosen for another term. Dadi, a former minister, is said to have become discontent at not being renominated. Reports said he was thinking of leaving the party as he thought there was no recognition for sincere workers.
The TDP politburo met on Saturday at Aalapadu village under Kaikaluru constituency of Krishna district where Chandrababu Naidu was camping. While Yanamala is a BC, Samantakamani is an SC. Salim was chosen to fill the Minority quota. Naidu reportedly told Dadi that he would be fielded from the Anakapalle Lok Sabha or Assembly constituency in the next elections. (NSS)
