Nellore: Ruling party leaders role suspected
Miriyala Venkata Seshagiri Babu
Nellore: Transfer of the previous District Collector, Miriyala Venkata Seshagiri Babu has sparked caste row as Kapu leaders in the state have started criticising the local ruling party leaders for his transfer.
Seshagiri Babu's father and Kapunadu leader Miriyala Venkata Rao was having wide contacts with Kapu leaders across the state. So, Seshagiri Babu is also familiar to the political leaders as the son of Kapu leader who was popular for many decades.
Sources in the administration said some ruling party leaders expected some favours from Seshagiri Babu. Though the official has been obedient to the leaders, he was reluctant to do the favours. Contracts, work allotments, payment of bills, land acquisition and other issues were on the list of requests from YSRCP leaders. Some senior leaders in the district had heated arguments with him, it is learnt.
Due to pressures by some leaders, the official was not happy since March this year and requested the Government for transfer. He had applied for leave and the Chief Secretary approved it from July 13 to 20.
Tollywood actor K Chiranjeevi was having close contacts with Venkata Rao's family and now Jana Sena started criticising the ruling party leaders for the transfer of a sincere officer.
They charged that the official was humiliated during his tenure for not supporting the ruling party leaders. Sources said that Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan had instructed the cadres to focus on the issue.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders in the district also have raised their voice on the issue as party state chief Kanna Lakshminarayana also belongs to Kapu community. Jana Sena leader K Vinod Kumar Reddy said ruling party leaders have planned for a scam of Rs. 500 crore in the district and the then Collector raised objections on the irregularities which made them irritated.
However, a senior leader from the ruling party stated that there was no caste issue in the transfer. It was done only on the request of the then Collector who had failed to manage work pressure, he added.