TD loyalists seethe over ticket denials

• Widespread protests break out across the State
• Leaders sore that the party ignored their services
• Turncoats gifted tickets soon after joining party

Hyderabad: Even as the TDP and the BJP leaders were trying to resolve the differences that had cropped up between the two parties on certain Assembly seats, the TDP leaders, who were the flag-bearers during the last decade and failed to get tickets, resorted to large-scale agitations at many places across the State. The TDP leaders are angry that the party has ditched them and instead preferred turncoats who have walked away with B-forms within minutes of joining the party. This resulted in large-scale outburst of anger among the rank and file.

In Produttur, the supporters of sitting MLA and TDP constituency in-charge Lingareddy protested that he was ignored and instead the party gave ticket to Congress MLA Varadarajula Reddy who joined the party just a few days back. Unhappy over this, they uprooted party flags and destroyed banners and flexis at the party office. They also raised slogans against TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and C M Ramesh and destroyed a bicycle, which is the symbol of the party. They also observed a bandh in the town for some time.

Lingareddy had won from Proddutur with a thumping majority against Varadarajulu Reddy in the 2009 elections and was appointed Kadapa district TDP in-charge. Since then, he has been handling the party affairs in the district. It is being said that Lingareddy is contemplating to quit TDP. Already, the YSRCP has been wooing Lingareddy to join it. Saturday being the last day for nomination, Lingareddy may have to decide on his future course of action by Saturday morning.

In Tirupati, former legislator Venkata Ramana was favoured in place of the party leader Chadalavada Krishnamurty. The party leadership reportedly told him that he could not get the ticket since a majority of people whose opinion was sought through IVRS method favoured Venkata Ramana. Venkata Ramana is a former MLA of the Tirupati Constituency (Chittoor district). He was elected to AP Assembly in 2004. He did not get seat in 2009 elections. Bhumana Karunakar Reddy contested on the ticket of Congress Party. Chiranjeevi of the then PRP won the seat in 2009 elections.

When Chiranjeevi resigned from the MLA seat after he merged PRP with Congress and was elected to Rajya Sabha, Venkata Ramana contested on the Congress ticket and was defeated by Karunakar Reddy. The TDP chief reposed his faith on Janardhan Thatraj in Kurupam Assembly seat. Janardhan, who had won the same seat on Congress nomination in the 2009 polls, joined the TDP very recently. A sulken Krishnamurty expressed his unhapiness over the issue and when Venkata Ramana went to his house and touched his feet seeking his blessings, the angry leader retorted, saying that he did not believe in the culture of purchasing party tickets.

In Palakol of West Godavari district, local Telugu Desam leader Ch Satyanarayana Murthy (Babji) had filed the nomination, hoping that he would get the party ticket for Assembly constituency, but he was taken aback when his name did not figure in the list. Instead, an unknown candidate Nimmala Ramanaidu was given the ticket.

Babji, a reputed doctor, is known locally as ‘Abbayigari Abbayi’. One of the supporters of Babji doused himself with kerosene and tried to set himself on fire. Several activists including Babji and MLC Rammohan were in pensive mood. They said that Babji should contest as an independent defying the TDP leadership as great injustice was done to him.