NELLORE: Politics in Nellore district, particularly in the city, are generating much heat and the situation is likely to worsen as the ruling YSRC leaders and followers of two MLAs are set to organise public meetings and rallies separately on Sunday.
Former minister P Anil Kumar Yadav has made arrangements for a public meeting in Nellore city stating it as a leader-cadre meeting after three years in the constituency. On the other hand, followers of Sarvepalli MLA and Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy have planned to welcome their leader with a huge rally in Nellore city.
Followers of both the legislators seem to be determined to show their strength with the party programmes on Sunday. It may be noted that seveal legislators of ruling YSRC, including Nellore rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy and Kovur MLA Nallapureddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy, were expected to be inducted into the new cabinet and Anil Kumar was expected to be retained.
Contrary to expectations, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy picked Govardhan Reddy and made him Agriculture Minister. On Saturday, Anil Kumar inspected arrangements for the public meeting at Gandhi statue in Nellore city. “The meeting was planned long ago and permission sought three days back. We have no instructions from the party high command to postpone the meeting. It was not planned to disturb any other YSRC programmes in the city. We will indisputably follow whatever party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy directs. We are only followers and not autocrats,” said Anil Kumar.
Very recently, after the announcement of Govardhan Reddy as a minister, his followers set up flexes in Nellore city after obtaining permission from the municipal corporation. However, unidentified miscreants tore out the flexes within hours. The same thing happened on Saturday as some unidentified miscreants tore out the flexes of Govardhan Reddy set up by his followers at several places in the city welcoming their leader.
The allocation of ministerial post to Govardhan Reddy in the cabinet reshuffle has triggered differences within the YSRC. In fact, YSRC legislators including Govardhan Reddy, Anil Kumar and Sridhar Reddy were in Congress earlier. Govardhan Reddy served as Zilla Parishad Chairman during the Congress regime, while Anil Kumar worked in various capacities in the Congress earlier.
Sources in the party said Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana held talks with both Govardhan Reddy and Anil Kumar and tried to resolve the issue. It is learnt that Anil Kumar informed the party leadership that he had planned the meeting much in advance.