Palla vows to strengthen TDP from village level

Visakhapatnam: Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao, who had faced tremendous pressures during the YSRCP government and fought against the ruling party and got the highest majority in the state in the just concluded polls, says he has now been bestowed with a major responsibility of strengthening the party form village to state level.

Talking to Hans India on Monday, Rao said many initially wondered why he was not given a berth in the Cabinet. But the national president of the party had done full justice to him by appointing him as the state president in place of K Atchannaidu who became a minister.

Rao said he started his career as a district president and has risen to the level of becoming a state chief. He said his family has been associated with TDP for the past four decades. Belonging to the Yadava community of BC category, he is well qualified and has earned recognition as a committed leader, who is always accessible to the rank and file in the party during his four-year stint as the president of Visakhapatnam district TDP for four years. He won as MLA from Gajuwaka seat in the 2024 polls.

His father Palla Simhachalam was among those who joined TDP during its initial years and served the people as an MLA between 1994-99. Rao said soon after the YSRCP came to power, he and his family members were badly harassed. They mounted pressure on him to quit TDP and join YSRCP and when he did not succumb, the harassment reached its peak. His commercial complex was demolished in Gajuwaka.

Harassment did not end there. His wife Lavanya Devi’s promotion was stopped. She is working as an assistant professor in Andhra University. Although she did not participate in any election campaign, she was suspended by the vice-chancellor of the AU alleging that she participated in political activity.

He said when he called on Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and party national general secretary Nara Lokesh to thank them for considering him for this big responsibility, they told him, “We entrusted you with the biggest responsibility. Every worker should be given due respect. Especially, youth should get greater importance in the party.”

Rao said he would strictly follow the guidelines given to him and would infuse young blood into the party. He would strive to maintain best of balance between the seniors and the young party workers. He said he would also seek the suggestions of senior leaders from time to time.