Telugu Desam Party Vijayawada (West) in-charge Buddha Venkanna is at his wits end with the proposal gaining ground to crown Nagul Meera as TDP Urban president. He is peeved at the party leaders’ proposal, which has been almost cleared by party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, and Venkanna is said to be sceptical about his future.
Mr. Venkanna thinks the proposal will pave way for two power centres in Vijayawada (West) constituency as Mr. Meera has hold on One Town -- where concentration of minority population is high. He has been organising various programmes “with a hope that he would be bestowed with party ticket”, in 2014 elections. The cadre is, now, confused over the leadership ever since the news broke out, sources say.
If the proposal were to be implemented, TDP Urban president Vallabhaneni Vamsi will receive a raw deal as he will be stripped off party urban president post and also leave no chances to contest either from Vijayawada MP constituency or Gannavaram Assembly constituency. Kesineni Srinivas (Nani), a lateral entrant into the party, emerged almost the successful contender for Vijayawada MP ticket. Gannavaram MLA Dasari Balavardhan Rao is also stated to have asserted that he was not willing to vacate his constituency. Mr. Meera, party sources say, is chosen mainly for two 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. 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’s name was in wide circulation that he would be made district president, but, it did not materialise as he was stated to be in no mood to take the cudgels. There was a buzz in the city on Sunday that Mr. Nani had been assured of being fielded from Vijayawada MP Constituency. Mr. Venkanna is also stated to have been “comforted by the party president that Mr. Meera will not be in race for Vijayawada (West) constituency ticket.” The TDP leaders met Mr. Naidu in East Godavari district during his Vastunna Meekosam padayatra.
