TDP seniors still sore over Cabinet snub

Amaravati: The ruling TDP is still experiencing ripples triggered by recent Cabinet expansion-reshuffle with many a failed aspirants venting their ire at the party leadership openly. While Chittoor MP N Sivaprasad questioned lack of proper representation to SCs in the state and Central Cabinets in Chittoor on Friday, some other senior leaders are taking a dig at the party chief and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu without any fear.

Highlights:

• Leaders who failed to get berths feel humiliated.
• Their sense of hurt is aggravated by their rivals and turncoats being given minister posts.
• Many leaders say they and their followers are still attending courts in connection with cases registered at the behest of some new ministers in the past.

Former Minister K Ramasubba Reddy, MLAs Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, Chintamaneni Prabhakar, Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, Goutu Shyamsundar Sivaji and Dhulipalla Narendra have been sulking over the “injustice” meted out to them with followers openly criticizing the party leadership. Surprisingly, the TD top leadership has not interacted with them so far to mollify the fuming leaders. No outgoing minister, except Peethala Sujatha, has met the Chief Minister so far.

On the other hand, Muslims and Kamma community leaders are openly accusing the TD leadership of ignoring their communities. In this backdrop, Naidu's close associate and MP Dr Sivaprasad’s latest outbursts became a hot topic in the party circles on Friday. The major complaint of disgruntled leaders is that their rivals or recent entrants were given the posts at their expense. Senior legislators G Shyamsundar Sivaji, Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, Chintamaneni Prabhakar and former minister K Ramasubba Reddy feel humiliated by the party which rewarded their political opponents, who shifted their loyalties from Opposition parties.

The TD leaders of Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and Kadapa districts fought against those who have been given berths in the Cabinet, including Sujayakrishna Ranga Rao, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Pithani Satyanarayana, Ch Adinarayana Reddy in the last 10 years during Congress rule.MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar commented that his followers had still been attending courts in connection with cases foiled by the previous Congress government, especially at the instance of then minister Pithani Satayanarayana.

In Kadapa, former minister K Ramasubba Reddy is said to be facing the same situation. According to sources close to him, the veteran leader struggled to protect his followers when the TD was in Opposition. Moreover, he has been continuing in the party as second generation leader without loyalty. One senior TD leader bitterly observe that Ramasubba Reddy is now lost favour with the party leadership as he has lost financial clout. Similarly, the five-term MLA Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy is also faced police cases registered during Congress rule.

At one stage, he wanted to quit politics but changed his mind following pressure from party men. Senior TD leader and former minister G Shyamsundar Sivaji almost announced his retirement. He is very popular as he is the son of Goutu Latchanna. A party MLC said combination of caste and money is playing an important role in the party, which is against to fundamental values of the party. “NTR had appointed ministries giving priority to caste factor also while taking into consideration qualifications like sincerity and commitment to the party.

That is why second and third generations have also remained loyal to the TDP. Now with only caste and money are counting, I don’t know how long this loyalty will survive in future,” the MLC said. He wondered how N Amarnath Reddy could leave and come into the party and get a berth in the Cabinet.

By Patibandla Srinivas