HYDERABAD: The election to choose the office-bearers of the Andhra Pradesh Olympic Association (APOA) on Sunday here brought to the fore the fissures in the ruling TDP.
Party MPs Galla Jayadev and CM Ramesh openly staked claim to the post of the president of the sports body, which governs various sports disciplines in the reorganised State.
The two MPs, who are considered to be key members in the “inner circle” of AP Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, crossed swords with each other over the issue of who was the ‘real’ president of the APOA.
While Ramesh claimed he had been elected as president of the association unanimously, Jayadev on the other hand, declared that he had already been elected as the president of the association on April 4.
“The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has recognised the election which took place on April 4. I am the president,” Jayadev claimed in Tirupati.
On the other hand, Ramesh said his election as APOA president was as per the direction of the High Court and that the organisation headed by him was the original APOA.
Taken aback by the open fracas between his party MPs, Naidu is learnt to have asked them to amicably resolve the issue at the earliest.
According to the sources, if both of the MPs fail to arrive at an amicable solution, then Naidu will ask Jayadev to withdraw his claim and allow Ramesh to occupy the post.
Earlier, the High Court in its order had directed the division of APOA and asked the unified APOA president and former MP Lagadapati Rajagopal and general secretary Jagdeeshwar Yadav to conduct separate elections to the Telangana and AP Olympic Associations on April 19. As per the direction of the HC, the Telangana Olympic Association was created and election for both the bodies were held here on Sunday under the supervision of former judge of Allahabad and Lucknow High Court Justice DSR Verma.
Though the IOA representative was not present during the conduct of the elections, senior IAS officer Ramani was sent as the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) nominee by the State government to oversee the elections.
Apart from the president, chairman and general secretary, four vice-presidents, one treasurer and 15 executive members were elected to the association.