Mahabubabad: Flexi war exposes chinks in TRS armour

Mahabubabad: The long-standing political rivalry between MP Maloth Kavitha and MLA Banoth Shankar Naik raised its head again, sending the ruling TRS cadres into a tizzy in Mahabubabad. The spark ignited when Shankar Naik's followers allegedly tore up the flexis – greeting people on the occasion of Bathukamma – put up by Kavitha's aides. Shocked over the development, Kavitha took the issue to the notice of TRS working president KT Rama Rao. Later, she reportedly spoke to the DGP M Mahender Reddy urging the interference of the police.

Against this backdrop, the police booked cases against around 10 TRS workers, including municipal vice-chairman Md Fareed and party town secretary G Raju, owing allegiance to Shankar Naik, based on Kavitha's aide P Yugandhar's complaint.

Getting wind of the development, Shankar Naik approached the police personally on the night of October 14. But the police refused to yield to his argument. The speculation is rife that Kavitha convinced the TRS leadership that Naik was trying to have sway over the region.

The rivalry between Kavitha and Shankar Naik dates back to 2009. In that election to the Mahabubabad Assembly seat, Kavitha (then in Congress) emerged victorious defeating A Chandulal (TRS) and Shankar Naik (Praja Rajyam). In the 2014 elections, Shankar Naik who contested on TRS ticket defeated Kavitha. Later, Kavitha joined the TRS and tried for TRS ticket in the 2018 elections. But the TRS leadership retained Shankar Naik and fielded Kavitha from the Mahabubabad Lok Sabha seat in 2019.

"Though the MP and the MLA are with the ruling TRS, they have been at loggerheads for a long time with both of them trying for one-upmanship in Mahabubabad politics. Shankar Naik group believes that Kavitha could be a tough contender for the TRS ticket in the 2023 Assembly elections. On the other hand, Kavitha followers have their fingers crossed that their leader would get the ticket in 2023 as the TRS leadership is unlikely to retain Shankar Naik," a senior TRS leader told The Hans India.

Meanwhile, Shankar Naik who is unhappy with the police for booking cases against the party men told the press persons that he would abide by the leadership's dictum. Further, he made it clear that he was unaware of flexi row.