TDP on damage control mode?

Hyderabad: Stung by the mood swing of party leaders including some seniors who have been loyal to the party for more than three decades, the Telangana unit of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Thursday took up damage control exercise.

Party State president L Ramana, working president A Revanth Reddy, M Narsimhulu and others rushed to Amravati and met the party’s national president N Chandrababu Naidu.

Naidu is learnt to have sought a detailed explanation on the reports that many leaders had threatened to quit the party and that they were looking for greener pastures in the BJP or the TRS. Revanth Reddy is said to have explained to Naidu about the various activities the party had taken up during the past few months against the policies of the government and the unconstitutional manner in which the TRS government now proposes to constitute farmers coordination committees.

However, Naidu is understood to have expressed his dissatisfaction over the State leadership for having failed to resurrect the party. While appreciating various agitations taken up by them, he is said to have remarked that unless it created an impact on the people and gave them confidence that the TDP would stand by them, things would not improve.

He, according to sources, told them to focus on the elections of Singareni Colleries Union which are to be held soon. If the Telangana unit succeeds in creating an impact here, it can be used as a stepping stone to revive the party’s prospects, he is learnt to have remarked.

In a quick move, he also approved a list of 25 constituency in- charges. Naidu is also learnt to have spoken to leaders like R Chandrasekhar Reddy and others who are also said to be contemplating to quit the TDP before the 2019 general elections.
Sources further said that Naidu had told them that he would henceforth closely monitor the developments and functioning of Telangana unit of the party.