Telugu Desam party's girijan leader and former Minister M. Manikumari did not hide her dissatisfaction over girijans getting a short shrift in the biennial elections for two vacancies in Visakhapatnam District local authorities constituency to the AP Legislative Council.
Both seats were allotted to OC leaders from the plain area. It may be recalled that the groups headed by the two ministers from the district pitched strongly for one of the seats after party decided to field senior leader P. Chalapathi Rao from another seat. To find a solution to the problem, the party went for another senior leader M.V.V.S. Murthi.
Ms. Manikumari, though said the choice was good as two dedicated and senior leaders were fielded, expressed her dissatisfaction over Visakha Agency having been ignored. Both the MLAs of the region are from the YSRC and the lone MP (of Araku) was elected on YSRC ticket though she is supporting TDP now. Ms. Manikumari described the situation by saying "infighting among leaders has cost us (Girijans). Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu made several public assurances that Visakha Agency would not be ignored, but it appears that he avoided the tribals because they are innocent", she said rather sarcastically.
She sought the party ticket not for herself but to have a representation for TDP in Visakha Agency. There is no one in the Agency to question how the large amount of funds are being spent. In this case girijan leaders' loyalty was not rewarded, she said.
There were also mistakes on the part of party in selecting candidates for elections and later while giving nominated posts she said and wondered why Paderu was allotted to allies during the last two elections. The party was like an orphan in Visakha Agency, she said and pointed out that though Mr. Naidu adopted a village near Araku all leaders there, from Sarpanch to MLA, belong to YSRC and their names would be on plaques to be unveiled at the foundation and inauguration functions of schemes and programmes.
Party meeting
Meetings were held at Hyderabad at a short notice and though all from here rushed there, no positive action in favour of Girijans was taken. Instead of calling every one to Hyderabad, talks should have been confined to the two ministers from the district, a frustrated Ms. Manikumari said.
Asked if avoiding a Girijan is one of the plans to go ahead with bauxite mining in Visakha Agency, Ms. Manikumari said people of the area are always opposing bauxite mining and TDP also opposed when in Opposition. People of Visakha Agency would continued to oppose and would not allow bauxite mining.
When Ms. Manikumari's disappointment was brought to the notice of Panchayati Raj Minister Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, he said that not everyone in the party would get what he or she wanted.
Chief Minister took the entire State as a unit and had already accommodated a Girijan Gummadi Sandhya Rani from Vizianagaram as MLC in the last elections, he pointed out. HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao reminded that Ms. Manikumari has appreciated the choice of the two candidates.
