Station Ghanpur: Dissidence breaks out in BRS

Jangaon: Notwithstanding the sitting MLA Thatikonda Rajaiah’s resolve to abide by the BRS leadership’s diktat which denied him to field again from the Station Ghanpur constituency, his followers upped the ante against Kadiyam Srihari. It may be noted here that the BRS leadership had finalised the candidature of Srihari for Station Ghanpur seat in place of Rajaiah.

The thunderstruck Rajaiah broke down before his supporters and said that he would not cross the line drawn by KCR and work for the victory of the BRS candidate. Although the BRS leadership sent a missionary in Rythu Bandhu State president Palla Rajeshwar Reddy to console Rajaiah, the latter reportedly refused to meet him. Then Palla told Rajaiah’s supporters that the party will ensure a suitable position for their leader in the government.

A couple of days later taking part in a government programme, Rajaiah said that losing the ticket is like a heist of his harvest. Further, he pinned his hopes on almighty and KCR, hoping that he still had hopes to retain the ticket. It set the rumour mills running. Against this backdrop on Sunday, Rajaiah supporters in Zaffergadh and Dharmasagar took out massive rallies, demanding the BRS leadership to change its decision to field Srihari instead of Rajaiah from the constituency.

Rajaiah’s supporters contend that Srihari, who belongs to the Baindla community, didn’t command the support of the Scheduled Castes. Further, they say that the Baindla community has just 334 votes in the constituency. On the other hand, Rajaiah has a massive support of the SCs in the constituency, they claimed. In this backdrop, it appears that the BRS leadership has its task cut out to quell the dissidence before it blows out of proportion and give advantage to the Opposition parties, the BRS supporters say.

Meanwhile, the appointment of Vemulawada sitting BRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh, who was also denied ticket, as adviser to the State Government on Agriculture with Cabinet Minister Rank for a period of five years, also raised eyebrows. Drawing a parallel with Chennamaneni case, Rajaiah’s supporters said, “Why Rajaiah was not treated similarly.”

It may be mentioned here that the rivalry between the two former deputy chief ministers – Kadiyam Srihari and Thatikonda Rajaiah – dates back to 2004. Then Srihari was in Telugu Desam and Rajaiah was with the Congress. Srihari who won the seat in 1994 and 1999 lost twice thereafter in 2004 and 2009 on TDP ticket. Thereafter, Rajaiah continued his invincibility in the constituency by winning 2009 polls (as Congress candidate), 2012 by-poll (as TRS candidate), 2014 and 2018. Even though both the leaders are in the BRS, the rivalry between them is still alive and kicking. Although Rajaiah went on to become the first deputy chief minister of Telangana in 2014, in a dramatic turn of fortunes, he lost that post. KCR replaced him with the then Lok Sabha member of Warangal Srihari in 2015.