elugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders and cadre have been in distress in Visakha Agency since Thursday when the GO was issued, paving way for exploitation of bauxite at Jerrela in Chintapalli mandal.
This is because the banned CPI(Maoist), which had in the past warned TDP leaders to quit the party and party posts and join people’s agitation against bauxite mining, will not spare them if they stick to the party even after the GO is issued.
Fear of Maoists is not only there for the TDP and people in general are afraid of violence once the bauxite mining process is on since the Girijans are strongly opposing the mining proposal for more than two decades.
On Friday, Telugu Desam party leaders and workers from the 11 Agency mandals sent a memorandum to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, through the PO of ITDA, Paderu, requesting him to withdraw the GO. Former Minister M. Manikumari told The Hindu that the party would face troubles if the GO is not withdrawn. Tribal Welfare Minister R. Kishore Babu told the party leaders and workers to come down to Guntur to have a word with Mr. Naidu but the Agency TDP men wanted the Minister to come to Visakhapatnam for discussions, Ms. Manikumari said. Whether Mr. Kishore would come here or not, or whatever might be the outcome of his visit, the tension and fear among the TDP leaders and cadre is palpable. “Whether to quit the party or start relay fasts in all Agency mandals from Saturday would be decided tomorrow. We are expecting the Chief Minister to respond by afternoon,” Ms. Manikumari who had faced the tragedy of her husband being shot by Maoists when she was TW Minister, said. But no one would remain in the party in the Agency if bauxite mining is allowed, she reiterated.
Meanwhile, police and CRPF are reportedly bracing themselves up to face a violent reaction if any from the Maoists. IGs of CRPF of South Zone and Odisha area reportedly made an aerial survey.
