The entry of D.K. Satyaprabha, widow of former Chittoor MP D.K. Audikesavulu Naidu, into Telugu Desam Party led to serious infighting among party cadres for the MLA ticket in Chittoor Assembly constituency.
A few days prior to polling to Chittoor Municipal Corporation, Ms. Satyaprabha, along with her son D.A. Srinivas joined the TDP, and had extensively campaigned for the party candidates in Chittoor. This led to speculation that party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu had assured Satyaprabha of the MLA ticket from Chittoor. However, the party district president Jangalapalle Srinivasulu, known as JMC, claimed that Mr Naidu had already assured him of the ticket and his contest from Chittoor was a foregone conclusion.
In this backdrop, a group of TDP leaders owing allegiance to the DK family maintained that Satyaprabha had the strength to muster sympathy among the people following her husband’s demise last year, and that her family is known for providing drinking water to scores of villages in the district through their trust. Some locally important cadres belonging to the Kamma community who oppose the candidature of JMC, a Balija leader, could be made to seriously work for the party if the ticket is given to Satyaprabha, they observed.
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The TDP district vice-president, Katari Mohan, who is also a contender for the MLA ticket, declared his support to DK family and said that the entire party cadres are not willing to work for JMC.
Jangalapalle’s candidature continues to be opposed by the cadres since the time he joined the TDP after his defeat as the Praja Rajyam candidate in Chittoor.
Meanwhile, there is a speculation that former Minister and YSRC strongman in district Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy and his son Mithun Reddy are making frantic efforts to field JMC as their party candidate in Chittoor.
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