Vijayawada, June 14: TDP urban president Vallabhaneni Vamshi and Congress leader Devineni Rajasekhar (Nehru) are locked in an intense verbal war, resurrecting the memories of 1980s when the same Rajasekhar used to have a running feud with the then Congress MLA late Vangaveeti Mohan Ranga Rao.
In those days, an undercurrent of fear used to run among the citizens over what trouble was awaiting them since both the leaders were at war with each other.
After the death of Ranga, power politics in Vijayawada became unipolar and Rajasekhar who was in the TDP then switched loyalty to the Congress in the course of the time.Now with the entry of youthful Vallbhaneni Vamshi, fears are back that both the leaders might resort to action some day going by the sabre rattling they are indulging in.The sagenesis for the latest friction is the auction for retail shops conducted by the department of excise and prohibition. Differences came to the fore between the Congress and TDP leaders and they clashed with each other taking part in the auction for licence for shops in their respective areas.
It is learnt that the differences surfaced over Gudavalli and Done Atmakur wine shop which were run by a TDP leader cum a follower of Vamshi, however, this time these have been bid by Nehru’s supporters.
On Saturday, Vamshi, who contested for Vijayawada parliament seat in the last year general election, lodged a complaint with city police commissioner P S R Anjaneyulu accusing that the followers of Nehru were attacking TDP activists and sympathisers.
Vamshi also launched a scathing attack against Nehru that he was the main accused in the murder of Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga and TDP leader Gopala Reddy and also said that Nehru has a notorious criminal background.Condemning the allegations, Nehru accused Vamshi that he had encroached hundreds of acres in Hyderabad and also hatched a conspiracy for the murder of TDP leader Paritala Ravi.
However, the police commissioner called Vamshi to his office again and advised him to maintain restraint to ensure peace in the city.But, people who witnessed a series of crimes two decades ago are caught in a grip of fear that the city may witness faction feuds once again.
———Agencies