In a day of high drama, Telugu Desam’s Muvva Vijay Babu won the Khammam District Cooperative Central Bank president’s post by defeating TDP rebel candidate Tulluri Brahmaiah here on Wednesday. CPI candidate Bagam Hemantha Rao was elected vice-president with the support of TDP. Rao is CPI district secretary.
The president and vice-president posts of the District Cooperative Marketing Society (DCMS) were also won by TDP candidates Yajjadi Anjaiah (president of Wajedu PACS) and Boinapally Sudhakar (Gunthala PACS) respectively.
The differences within the TDP have come to the fore concerning the DCCB president’s election. While the party announced Muvva Vijaya Babu of Penuballi PACS as its candidate for the DCCB president, another TDP leader T Brahamaiah of Aswapuram PACS also filed his nomination for the post.
Interestingly, Vijay Babu, who is said to be a follower of MP Nama Nageswar Rao, reportedly switched his loyalty to MLA Thummala Nageswar Rao at the last minute as the latter had a hold on DCCB directors.
However, T Brahmaiah, a key follower of Thummala Nageswar Rao, too filed his nomination. To cash in on the situation, Congress asked its candidate Esala Nageswar Rao to withdraw from contest and announced its support to the TDP rebel. While the TDP and CPI together have 13 director posts, Congress party has only six directors. There are also two ex-officio members. In the election, Vijaya Babu got 14 votes, while Brahamaiah got seven.
Meanwhile, Bodepudi Ramesh Babu (Kondaigudem PACS), a follower of Nama Nageswar Rao, threatened to quit TDP as he was not given a chance to contest for DCCB president post. He was pacified by party observer and MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy.
It is said Vijay Babu also enjoyed the support of Sattupally MLA Sandra Venkataveeraiah.
The followers of Brahamaih burnt party flags and banners and raised slogans against Thummala Nageswar Rao at the party office.