VIJAYAWADA: A day after three of his party leaders came out openly against Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) bringing to the fore the bickerings in the party, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu rued that internal democracy in the party had gone beyond limits and vowed to set things right.
Without directly referring to the rebellion of MLC Buddha Venkanna, former MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao and minority leader Nagul Meera against Nani, Naidu, who held a roadshow in the city on Sunday, said the TDP could achieve better results if party leaders put up a united fight to keep the YSRC at bay in the VMC elections.
Though the three party leaders, who threatened to boycott the roadshow if Nani participated in it, took part in Naidu’s campaign alongside with the party's mayoral candidate Kesineni Swetha, daughter of Nani, the MP himself was conspicuous by his absence.
An evidently disappointed Naidu exhorted the party leaders to avoid "cheap politics" in the larger interests of the party. "If we go on differing on small issues, ultimately we will be the sufferers," he warned.
Meanwhile, Naidu minced no words to instigate the sentiment of Amaravati among the people of Vijayawada, saying that they have lost the courage to fight in favour of Amaravati and "sleeping in their houses leaving the agitation for Amaravati to himself".
"Are you ready to save Amaravati? Where is the commitment? I am questioning all of you. Time has come to ask the people of this area. Did I bring Pattiseema water for myself? How can you remain calm? Did I declare Amaravati a capital for myself? That is for five crore people of the State. You are ready to go to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and other cities for work but don’t come forward to save Amaravati," he pointed out.
Recalling that people voted for the YSR Congress after falling in the trap of YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy ignoring his caution, Naidu said they believed that Amaravati would continue to be the capital going by the version of YSR Congress leaders that Jagan built his residence in the region.
"But what happened now? The Chief Minister in the name of three capitals is playing a three card game," he said and added that even as Jagan is planning to relocate the capital from Amaravati, people have remained silent without venting their ire against the move.
Stating that he did not come for votes but to caution the people, he said that their lives would be at stake if they still opt to vote for the YSRC accepting the cash being distributed by the ruling party leaders. "I have nothing to gain from winning this municipal election. A vote for the YSRC will be like giving a licence to rowdies and goondas. The fake liquor policy has destroyed the lives of poor people," he alleged.