TDP gets a jolt

HYDERABAD: The TDP, which is working out a multi-pronged strategy along with its alliance partners to launch a major offensive against the government from Nalgonda on December 26, got a jolt with reports that some of its senior leaders had decided to quit the party and join either the PRP or Congress.
Party deputy leader in the assembly Kala Venkatrao, who represents Vunkuru constituency in Srikakulam, and former minister S Venugopalachari from Nirmal are said to be indicating their intention to join Chiranjeevi's party Prajarajyam party.
TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu after a quick review of the situation on Friday asked the leader of opposition in the council, Dadi Veerabhara Rao and some others to meet the two leaders and ascertain the truth in the rumour and also see that they do not quit the party.
The TDP team met them and held detailed discussions and D V Rao later told media that there was no question of Venkat Rao quitting the party. He said it is a fact that there were certain internal problems in the district and they would be sorted out at the party forums. But the fact remains that for over two decades, there have been serious differences between Venkat Rao and TD parliamentary party leader K Yerranaiud who is also from the same district.
Venkat Rao recently told TOI that the party leadership had encouraged Yerranaidu and his group and gave them important positions and this had resulted in demoralising the cadre. Leaders like T Sitaram had quit TDP only because he felt suffocated by the dictatorial attitude of Yerranaidu. Rao was not available for comments on rumours about his quitting the party.
Party sources say that Venkat Rao was contemplating to quit TDP as the SC constituency Vunkuru had disappeared after the delimitation. The neighbouring Etcherla constituency has become de-reserved and the local party unit were demanding ticket from this constituency. In the backdrop of this situation, Venkat Rao wanted to contest Viziangaram Lok Sabha constituency which he had represented in the past and had a meeting with Naidu in this regard recently.
Venugopalachari denied the rumours and said that there was no question of his quitting the party. Talking to TOI, he said it was all a media creation and that he was not contemplating to leave the party and join PRP or Congress.
Chari is also a victim of delimitation. Nirmal constituency has been done away under delimitation and Adilabad has become ST constituency. Hence, he wants to contest from the newly created Malkajgiri constituency for which the Hyderabad leaders were opposing.