VISAKHAPATNAM/SRIKAKULAM:Uncertainty lingers over the election of the district and urban unit presidents of Telugu Desam Party in north Coastal Andhra region. Except for the election of Dwarapureddy Jagadeesh as Vizianagaram district unit president, which was a smooth affair, the outcome of election for other posts remains inconclusive due to infighting among groups.
In Srikakulam, there is still an air of uncertainty over TDP district unit president’s post. Though district incharge minister Paritala Sunita and observers MP Thota Narasimham and Reddy Satyanarayana elicited the views of the people’s representatives and other important leaders at the TDP’s general body meeting held in Srikakulam Sunday, the name was not announced. Since Labour Minister K Achchan Naidu hinted at a woman heading the district unit, Palasa MLA Gouthu Shyamsundar Sivaji’s daughter Sirisha’s name did the rounds.
But minister Sunita’s announcement that the name of the person to head the party in the district would be announced only after submitting a report to the party supremo, led to much speculation and suspense. The general body meeting under the leadership of sitting district TDP president Chowdary Narayana Murthy was held at Ambedkar auditorium here where the views of the cadre were also elicited. A similar situation prevailed in Visakhapatnam. Though Urban Unit sitting president Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar (Visakhapatnam South MLA) and Rural Unit president G Ramanaidu are in the forefront to retain their posts, there is a tough fight from other leaders.
Senior leaders T Harshavardhan and Peela Srinivas are said to be in the race for heading the Urban Wing which is crucial in the wake of elections proposed to the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC). However, the reelection of Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar as the Visakhapatnam city president is said to have been more or less confirmed.
For the rural wing, the chances for sitting president G Ramanaidu seemed bleak even as senior leaders like Pappala Chalapati Rao, Chodavaram Sugar Factory chairman Mallu Naidu and Yelamanchili Assembly constituency in-charge Sudarapu Vijaya Kumar are in the forefront for the rural president post. Another leader, Anand, is also said to be giving good competition to the senior leaders.
Sources said that since many leaders are in the race for the coveted post, there was no unanimity. The observers, including Kambhampati Rammohana Rao, sat for hours together Sunday and held discussions with people’s representatives and top party leaders of the district. But no name could be zeroed in on even then.
Soon after his arrival, Visakhapatnam district incharge minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu along with other senior leaders huddled into brainstorming sessions but could not reach a consensus over the election of the district unit president.
At the end, Ramakrishnudu announced that the views of all the leaders were elicited and a report on this would be submitted to the party president who will in turn announce the district and urban unit presidents.