Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has appointed senior leader Nagul Meera as TDP urban president. The party also made businessman Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) in-charge of Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency. Incumbent TDP Urban president Vallabhaneni Vamsi has been elevated to State unit, and made organising secretary. The Telugu Desam State office made these announcements on Tuesday at Hyderabad.
Mr. Nani, a lateral entrant into the party, has marred the chances of Mr. Vamsi and other aspirants.
Former MP Gadde Rammohan Rao and Lingamaneni Ramesh are two other names that were in circulation in party circles before TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu reached Krishna district.
The party leadership zeroed in on Mr. Nani, party sources say, at a time it is searching for a candidate who can bear expenses involved in Padayatra as well and not just election expenses.
Mr. Meera has been chosen mainly for three reasons: The party wants to send signals that it will give utmost priority to BCs and minorities. Secondly, a non-Kamma person for one of the two coveted posts —TDP district president and TDP Urban president.
And, Mr. Nani wanted the party to nominate a person who is amicable as urban president.
At various fora in the party, the leaders and cadre are said to have expressed the view that a non-Kamma, preferably, a BC candidate, be chosen for one of the posts. Sometime ago, senior leader Kagita Venkat Rao name was in wide circulation that he would be made the district president.
But, it did not materialise as he was stated to be in mood to take the cudgels.