Differences among TDP corporators come to fore

Vijayawada: Differences among the TDP corporators came to fore in the Corporation Council's last meeting held here on Saturday. TDP senior corporator Muppa Venkateswara Rao openly expressed his ire on Mayor Koneru Sridhar during the Council meeting. Besides, some other TDP corporators also expressed their resentment against the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Floor Leader.

Corporator Muppa Venkateswara Rao expressed his ire over Mayor for not completing the Corporation's new building in five years of his stint. He pointed out the TDP would have benefitted a lot with the completion of corporation building, which was started at a cost of Rs 32 crore.

According to sources, the State government had halted the building construction works for unknown reasons. The VMC decided to construct seven floors building at a cost of Rs.32 crore but could not complete the work.

When Muppa Venkateswara Rao was speaking on it, the Mayor asked the corporator to sit down. This had irked Muppa and he reacted sharply and made comments that Mayor Sridhar had never allowed the other corporators to speak on public issues. He alleged that only Mayor, Deputy Mayor Gogula Ramana and Floor Leader G Haribabu spoke in the Council meetings and other TDP corporators were not allowed to speak.

Immediately, Hari Babu and Gogula Ramana and others spoke in favour of the mayor and had a heated argument with Muppa. Another corporator Y Ramaiah spoke in favour of Muppa Venkateswara Rao. The two sides had made arguments and counter arguments and later other corporators pacified the two warring groups.

Some TDP corporators were unhappy over the attitude of the Mayor for more than two years. Some TDP leaders also aspired for the mayor post of half term i.e. two and half years. But, former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had opposed it and insisted Koneru Sridhar should continue five-year term. Since then, some TDP corporators are unhappy with the policy of party that Koneru Sridhar continue in the post for five years without giving chance to other TDP corporators.

TDP corporators were also divided when Muppa Venkateswara Rao asked the mayor to address traffic problem near Police control room by regulating the traffic and private buses. Mayor said it was the responsibility of the police department to regulate the traffic and VMC is nothing to do it. This sparked arguments between the two sides of the ruling party.

Surprisingly, the differences among the TDP corporators, who were united for five years in the council, exposed in the last council meeting on Saturday. Removal of the photo of late N T Rama Rao from council hall also sparked a row in the council.

Mayor Koneru Sridhar expressed his ire on the municipal corporation officials for removing the photo of former CM and TDP founder Nandamuri Rama Rao and the former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu from the council hall.

He questioned as to why the officials have removed the photo of late NT Rama Rao. He said the council passed a resolution long time ago for installation of photo in the council hall and no one has right to remove it. The YSRCP leaders insisted that the photo of Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy should be arranged since he was also the former Chief Minister of the State.

Mayor asked the officials to install the photo of YSR also. For which, the officials agreed to arrange in the council meeting hall. He said the Congress party ruled the council earlier but could not pass a resolution to install the photo of late YSR and it was their fault. The five-year council term ended on Saturday.