ONGOLE: The alleged internal bickerings that came to the fore following the removal of senior leader and Ongole MLA Balineni Srinivasa Reddy from the State cabinet, continue to rock the ruling YSRC in Prakasam district. The suspension of three aides of Balineni by the YSRC leadership, reportedly did not go well with the senior leader. According to sources, the action was taken against his aides without informing Balineni.
After he was dropped from the cabinet, Balineni openly expressed his dissatisfaction against the party leadership and there were even reports of his plans to leave the party. The YSRC leadership, however, persuaded Balineni and made him the district incharge, but he did not accept the post.
Meanwhile, MP V Vijayasai Reddy, who has been given the task of coordinating with the party rank and file in the run up to the elections, visited the district recently and held a meeting with the party leaders, where he announced that Balineni would look after the party affairs in the district as a ‘big brother’ and steer the party to victory. However, the ‘big brother’ was not ‘consulted’ when Peddireddi Surya Prakash Reddy, Bhavanam Srinivasa Reddy and Koteswara Rao, who are said to be Balineni aides, were suspended for anti-party activities in the first week of September.
Surya Prakash Reddy levelled serious allegations of land encroachment against Markapur YSRC MLA KP Nagarjuna Reddy and his family. Vijayasai Reddy tried to make a compromise between the two, but Surya Prakash Reddy did not fall in line and after which he was suspended.
Srinivasa Reddy is a senior leader from Parchur Assembly constituency and his wife is a ZPTC member. The party high command suspended him for indulging in anti-party activities in Parchur segment. Balineni reportedly got angry with the leadership as Srinivasa Reddy is his strong follower.It is learnt that Balineni called up some office-bearers at the YSRC headquarters in Tadepalli and strongly condemned the suspension of Srinivasa Reddy without informing him.
“The party’s top leaders are saying that I am the big brother to take up the responsibility of ensuring the YSRC victory in Prakasam district. But you are suspending senior leaders and my close followers without even bringing the matter to my notice. Is it the way to treat me in the party?’’ Balineni reportedly asked the office-bearers, expressing his anger.