PEDDAPALLI: As the Assembly elections are fast approaching, groupism is rearing its ugly head in the BRS in the Manthani constituency. There seems to be a virtual split in the Manthani unit of the Pink party with former MLA and ZP chairperson Putta Madhu and ex-Muttaram ZPTC Nagineni Jaganmohan Rao holding separate meetings in an attempt to strengthen their respective cadre base.
Interestingly, Putta Madhu has been organising meetings for the last two days not in Manthani, but in Karimnagar in the name of holding training classes. This has raised many eyebrows among his party colleagues, especially those in Karimnagar questioning his intention in holding meetings away from Manthani.
Internal rivalry
Curiously, Madhu first held a meeting with social activist Kadire Krishna on Tuesday. With his rivals from within the party finding fault with his “attitude”, he conducted a meeting with the BRS leaders on Wednesday.
During these meetings, he has been targeting the AICC secretary and Manthani MLA D Sridhar Babu. He has also been trying to highlight the point that there has been no proper representation from the constituency in the last four years.
Meanwhile, second-rung BRS leaders led by Nagineni Jaganmohan Rao organised a separate meeting at a private function hall in Muttaram mandal on Wednesday. They expressed their displeasure over the way Putta Madhu has been operating in the segment. Speaking to TNIE on condition of anonymity, a leader said that “until and unless Madhu changes his attitude, we will not support him”.
It may be mentioned here that Madhu contested unsuccessfully from Manthani in the 2018 elections. Post elections, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao made him the Peddapalli ZP chairman. After maintaining a low low profile in the last few months, Madhu has once again become politically active in a bid to be in the good books of the party's high command ahead of the polls.
Meanwhile, District Library Director Gudishe Gattaiah alleged that Madhu has been trying to undermine other leaders and that everyone will work together to ensure his defeat if the leadership gives him the ticket in the upcoming elections.