The very mention of Nagari in Chittoor district would make one immediately recall former Congress minister R. Changa Reddy, followed by former minister Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu till date, though the former is now not that much active and the latter is no more. The people of Nagari Assembly constituency could see a live lesson that there could no permanent rivals in politics. After all, the two leaders had enacted scenes of bitter rivalry in the constituency for over three decades.
After five decades of politics, Mr. Changa Reddy went into hibernation immediately after the Samaikhyandra movement in the State. His daughter R. Indira, who contested as the Congress candidate in 2014, could garner more than 5,000 votes in Nagari in spite of the strong anti-Congress sentiment sweeping the State. Though there were speculations later from time to time that the family might move towards the TDP and the YSRCP, nothing happened that way so far.
At this juncture, senior TDP leaders have come in touch with Changa Reddy’s family, assuring the family of ‘due importance.’ Confirming that the TDP had spoken to him, Mr. Changa Reddy told The Hindu that he would be holding a meeting with his supporters on Wednesday to decide the future course of action. Giving credence to the development, earlier Mr. Bhanu Prakash had met the Congress leader, seeking his blessings.
There is a general observation that Mr. Changa Reddy's rivalry with Muddu was a closed chapter. To emerge as a new force and to do recapture his father’s lost domain in Nagari, his daughter Indira is largely considered the right option by the family’s supporters, unanimously making it clear that their political rival is now not Muddu’s family, but sitting Nagari MLA R.K. Roja.
At present, Gali Bjhanu Prakash, son of late Muddukrishnama Naidu (popularly known as Muddu), is contesting as the TDP candidate for the Nagari assembly constituency, taking on YSRCP leader and sitting MLA R.K. Roja. When the TDP high command cleared the name of Bhanu for Nagari, it had initially generated some dissidence among the cadres, but it slowly died down. Once again, the aspect of ‘local and non-local’ has cropped up in Nagari politics, with the TDP supporters banking on the name and fame of late Muddu, who is known for his round the clock accessibility to the cadres, apart from making his presence at marriage functions, funerals and all and sundry.
His son Bhanu is going round every nook and corner of the constituency, promising people that he would emulate his father.
Mixed response
Coming to Ms. Roja, she enjoys a mixed response from the masses of Nagari, with many pockets still considering her as a ‘non-local’ and ‘highly inaccessible.’ After defeating Muddu in 2014 with a slender margin of below one thousand votes, it was widely felt that Roja mostly confined herself to Nagari municipality, and ignoring the vast area of the textile belt.
In her second innings now, she finds it tough in some pockets, with the people directly questioning her ‘inaccessibility.’
The TDP leaders say that despite the rivalry between Muddu and Changa Reddy, both the leaders enjoyed the confidence of the people of Nagari.
With the younger generation of both leaders set to become active in politics, the old rivalry has no place in a peaceful place like Nagari. With Changa Reddy family’s support, the TDP leaders say that Bhanu’s victory would be a cakewalk in Nagari.
