Is infighting in the party preventing Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu to visit the city? Mr. Naidu is slated to attend Noor Basha meeting in Guntur on Wednesday. The TDP supremo, however, will not attend the programmes fixed in the city as per the earlier schedule though he will pass through the city.
Mr. Naidu is supposed to inaugurate the party offices of Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency in-charge Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) and Vijayawada (Central) in-charge Bonda Umamaheswara Rao. Mr. Nani, announced a long ago that the TDP president would inaugurate his office near Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) here. Mr. Umamaheswara Rao also readied his office on Eluru Road near Vijetha hospitals. Vijayawada (West) in-charge Buddha Venkanna also renovated his office in One Town.
As it is an election year, the TDP leaders expected that inauguration of their offices by Mr. Naidu would give a fillip to the party in their respective constituencies. But, Mr. Naidu’s decision to trim his tour and drive straight to Guntur from Gannavaram has dashed the hopes of the trio. Though the TD leaders say that Mr. Naidu will fly to Vijayawada at a later date, it is learnt that he will not come here in near future. They, sources say, are making alternative arrangements for inauguration of their offices.
Mr. Naidu is said to have changed his mind in view of developments like exit of senior leaders from the party and the fast approaching Mahanadu. Mr. Naidu’s padayatra has impacted the TDP in the district. Lateral entry of Mr. Nani, change in guard of TDP urban unit etc have led to dissatisfaction and fuelled the groupism in the party.
Senior leaders are skeptical about their future and already began maintaining safe distance from the party. In view of these practical problems, sources say, Mr. Naidu is unlikely to visit the city before Mahanadu.