Seniors to `retire' to make way for youngsters in TDP

HYDERABAD: The TDP has decided to retire majority of its senior leaders who are over 55 years and make way for youngsters in the assembly constituencies so that the party would be in a state of readiness to meet any possible challenge from the proposed new party to be floated by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.
According to party sources, the party leadership has already identified the constituencies where young leaders can be propped up.This exercise, the sources said, has been taken up in consultation with those who would be asked to retire and take up non-electoral responsibilities.
Senior leaders feel that in the fast changing political scenario, there could be a spell of President's rule by February and perhaps a mid-term poll during the second half of 2011 and hence, the party should be in a state of preparedness.
A survey conducted by some party leaders, on their own, to find out the likely impact of the proposed new party of Jagan indicated that it has all the potential to cause serious damage to the Congress and the PRP. The Congress party would lose about 20% of its vote bank. It also rings alarm bells for TDP in the north coastal region and has the potential to cause some kind of erosion of the cadre in the party in the coastal belt.
The sources said Jagan may emerge as a formidable force in north coastal and south Telangana region and may be in a position to attract the youth to some extent. There are some people among the older generation who are beneficiaries of schemes like old age pension and Indiramma housing who adore YSR even now. This section may also go with Jagan out of love for YSR. Similarly, ten ministers from the current state cabinet and 25 Congress MLAs may also switch sides to Jagan camp in case of a mid-term poll. So is the case with majority of MLAs in PRP, TDP feels.
The survey further indicates that Jagan has minimal support in north Telangana regions like Karimnagar and Warangal but has good following in south Telangana districts like Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Khammam, etc. One of the opinion making rounds in the TDP is that the party should send its politburo member K Yerranaidu to Rajya Sabha so that he can play an effective role in national politics and in his place new leaders should be asked to take charge of the party in north coastal region to regain its lost ground and give tough fight to leaders like Botsa Satyanarayana and Dharmana Prasada Rao.
"If the Srikrishna committee gives its report in favour of separate Telangana then the pro-T parties would intensify the agitation to force the Centre to introduce a bill in the Parliament. If the committee report goes against the bifurcation of the state, it would be pushed into another round of turmoil and in either case, President's rule would become inevitable," a senior leader from Telangana said.