Kotla discord brings Kurnool politics to a boil

Kurnool, May 15: The discord between Kurnool MP Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy and minister Silpa Mohan Reddy, against whom the former launched a vitriolic broadside on Friday, has brought Kurnool politics to a boil.

The seeds of dissension between the two leaders were sown long ago.

Silpa belongs to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s group and the enmity between Suryaprakash’s father Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy and Jagan Mohan’s father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is well-known. The trigger for Suryaprakash Reddy’s latest outburst appears to be the assiduous work that Silpa Mohan Reddy has been doing to eat into the former’s support base in Kurnool Lok Sabha constituency by teaming up with Mantralayam MLA Y Balanagi Reddy. The latter was elected to the Assembly on a TDP ticket but has kept himself away from party activities for some time now.

Suryaprakash Reddy’s political clout has been declining just as TG Venkatesh has been emerging as a new power center in Kurnool politics since Rosaiah became chief minister.

The MP appears to have decided enough is enough.

Sources said Suryaprakash is trying to show Silpa in a poor light ahead of the chief minister’s visit to the district. The chief minister is thought to be trying to rein in Kadapa MP Jagan Mohan Reddy’s supporters in his cabinet. The Suryaprakash camp’s calculation is that the chief minister may consider dropping Silpa from his cabinet because he has his own loyalist, Venkatesh, waiting in the wings.

But Silpa has been accumulating brownie points himself by working overtime to induce the TDP’s inactive MLA Balanagi Reddy into the Congress and then similarly ensnare Praja Rajyam leaders like Bhuma Nagi Reddy and his wife Shobha.

An interesting subplot in this tangled drama is that Bhuma’s daughter is being given in marriage to Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s brother-in-law, Kadapa mayor P Ravindranath Reddy’s son which is being seen as a step that would facilitate Bhuma and Shobha’s anointment in the Congress.

And that behind-the-scenes work is being done by none other than Silpa Mohan Reddy.

Q and A with Suryaprakash Reddy Q. Why are you angry with Silpa Mohan Reddy? A. He has ganged up with Telugu Desam leaders.

Q. How can you say that? A. When he went to Mantrayalam on May 10 to take part in Praja Patham, he moved very closely with TDP MLA Balanagireddy.

Q. What’s wrong if an MLA takes part in Praja Patham? A. I am not saying it is wrong. But he humiliated Congress leader and DCC secretary Tikka Reddy by not mixing with Congress workers.

Q. If he has humiliated local Congress workers in Mantralayam, why should you get upset? A. If he keeps humiliating Congress workers, what will happen to the party in the district? Silpa has become a TDP stooge. The party’s image is taking a beating. We have to win the elections next time and if he acts like this, it would become difficult.

Q. Balanagi Reddy, though he is a TDP MLA, has been keeping away from TDP activities. Isn’t Silpa strengthening the Congress by ensuring that he joins the party? A. If he wants Balanagi Reddy in the Congress, why beat around the bush? Let Balanagi Reddy take Congress membership. But what is happening here is that Silpa is working hand in glove with TDP to damage the Congress’ image.

Silpa is an opportunist. If he thinks his propsects would be bright in the TDP, he might even join the party. He in fact has that track record. I for myself, have never switched loyalties.

Q. Have you brought this to the notice of the party leadership? A. I have told the chief minister. I have taken it to the notice of Sonia Gandhi. He should be dimsissed from the cabinet. I have no personal rivalry with Silpa. My only concern is how to protect the party.

Q. Could Silpa’s action be construed as an attempt to deal a blow to the Kotla family? A. We have the support of the people.

Nobody would be able to touch our family.

–Agencies