VIZIANAGARAM: Even a week after the announcement of TDP candidates, the rebel trouble seems to be continuing for official nominees in several constituencies of Vizianagaram district.
Rebels in Cheepurupalli, Srungavarapukota, Gajapathinagaram and Vizianagaram Assembly segments have stayed away from the TDP election campaign, causing confusion among the cadre.
The TDP leadership had named Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao for Cheepurupalli, Kolla Lalitha Kumari for Srungavarapukota, Aditi Vijayalakshmi Gajapathi Raju for Vizianagaram, Kondapalli Srinivas for Gajapathinagaram Assembly constituencies.
Several aspirants, including Kimidi Nagarjuna (Cheepurupalli), Gompa Krishna (Srungavarapukota), Meesala Geetha (Vizianagaram), and Kondapalli Appalanaidu (Gajapathinagaram) expressed their resentment against the TDP leadership over the selection of candidates. They even threatened to field independent candidates as rebels against the TDP official nominees. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and national general secretary Nara Lokesh called up several dissident leaders and explained the reasons for allotment of party tickets to new faces. Lokesh urged them to strive for the party victory in the elections by promising to do justice to them, sources said.
However, the dissidents have not launched their election campaign with the official nominees so far. They have started eliciting the views of their followers to field independent candidates as rebels to the official nominees. When Kala Venkata Rao visited Nagarjuna’s house a couple of days ago, he was not available. Though Srinivas met Appalanaidu, he did not take part in the election campaign. Geetha and Krisha have been holding meetings with their followers even after getting an assurance from the TDP leadership that justice would be done to them, TDP sources said.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior TDP leader from Cheepurupalli said, “We have seen the political conspiracy of the YSRC government in the distribution of social security pensions. The TDP rank and file should make coordinated efforts to dethrone the Jagan government putting aside their differences if any. The TDP leadership should persuade the dissidents to actively take part in the election campaign.”
