Tirupati: Ex-MLA SCV Naidu to rejoin TDP as party faces drought of senior leaders

Tirupati : The reorganisation of of the districts has left the opposition TDP in a peculiar position in Tirupati district. It could not find a State-level leader in the district who can have a say in all constituencies and lead the party from the front.

Though the party has appointed former TUDA chairman and senior party leader G Narasimha Yadav as the president of the Tirupati parliamentary constituency, it was learnt that he has been facing some problems with the non-cooperation from party leadership in various constituencies.

In the erstwhile Chittoor district, former minister and senior leader N Amaranatha Reddy was having strong grip over all the 14 constituencies. Obviously, he was the troubleshooter for the party in the district. Even before that, the district had strong leadership in former ministers Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy, Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu and others.

But, in the new Tirupati district, in the absence of any troubleshooters, the onus fell on the party high command which was forced to intervene in any matters laying undue burden on them.

During the recent Yuva Galam padayatra of party national general secretary Nara Lokesh, it was Amaranatha Reddy who accompanied him in all the constituencies of the erstwhile Chittoor district and coordinated with the local leadership. With Assembly elections fast approaching, there was a view among the party cadres that this issue should be addressed by the party high command at the earliest to run the party affairs smoothly.

In this backdrop, the recent meeting of former MLA and Srikalahasti YSRCP leader SCV Naidu with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu assumed significance. He was elected as MLA from Srikalahasti on Congress ticket in 2004 defeating TDP’s Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy.

But Bojjala again defeated him in 2009. SCV Naidu joined the YSRCP after it was formed but seems to be very much unhappy for not getting any prominence there till now.

It was said that he has a good following in Srikalahasti and Satyavedu constituencies and can decide the fate of any candidate. Sources said that he reportedly told TDP chief Naidu that he was interested in working with the party again.

Party leadership can decide the candidate from Srikalahasti based on the surveys. It may be recalled here that, the party leadership already gave indications that Gopalakrishna Reddy’s son Sudheer Reddy is its candidate and he has been engaged in ground work.

There was a view that SCV Naidu could seek party district leadership if not the candidature for Assembly polls as he is having a sizable number of supporters in some constituencies.

He reportedly asked for a few days’ time to join the TDP officially after discussing with his followers in the constituency.

TDP activists are looking at the developments eagerly, how the party leadership will accommodate SCV Naidu in the party.