VIJAYAWADA: TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has said cleansing in the party to weed out the ‘covert’ and ‘disloyal’ will commence from his own constituency Kuppam.
Addressing the party leaders from Kuppam constituency, including those who contested the recent municipal elections at the party headquarters in Mangalagiri on Wednesday, the TDP chief said those who worked against the party interest will not be spared. “Only those who are loyal and have strived for strengthening the party will be given preference. Young leaders from the grassroot level will be encouraged,” he said.
Analysing the factors that led to TDP defeat in Kuppam, Naidu asked those who contested 25 municipal wards to submit a detailed report in a sealed cover on the issues they faced internally and externally and said based on those reports future course of action will be decided.
Lambasting his opponents for what he called below the belt politics, TDP chief said he has not faced such a situation in his long political career. “There is a need for capable leadership at the constituency level and below to face such situations,” he said.
Admitting that last-minute selection of party candidates has become counterproductive, Naidu said those who were in touch with people and fought for their problems have got good results. “A mason, a lift operator, a painter and a petty vendor have won the elections and their success should be made a case study, so it could act as a guide for others,” he observed.
The TDP chief said hereafter, those who fight with others for their own political motives will be kept at bay. Also, those who are only focusing on ‘buttering’ the leaders instead of working at the field-level will face the heat. He was all praise for women in Kuppam who fought against the ‘fake’ voters.
He said besides overconfidence, rivals’ propaganda, fake votes, police high-handedness and luring the voters in an unethical manner were major reasons for the defeat in Kuppam. When SR Balakurma, a TDP worker, asked Naidu to have his own house in Kuppam and visit the town once in every three months, he said he would consider it.
Panel for home turf
Naidu announced a coordination committee for strengthening the party in Kuppam and said it will constantly monitor all developments. The TDP chief pointed out that they lost election in seven wards in just 350 and less vote margin