VIZIANAGARAM: Posing a threat to the YSRC’s efforts to make a clean sweep in the Vizianagaram district in the ensuing Assembly elections as part of its ‘Mission 175’, the differences between sitting MLA Kadubandi Srinivasa Rao and MLC Indukuri Raghu Raju has led to open dissidence in Srungavarapukota (S Kota).
Consequently, the party rank and file in the constituency have divided into two groups and started making complaints against each other to the YSRC leadership. Raju and Koppula Velama State Corporation Chairman Nekkala Naidubabu have urged YSRC regional coordinator YV Subba Reddy not to allocate S Kota seat to Rao in the ensuing elections citing that he is a non-local, who unsuccessfully contested from Gajapathinagaram on Praja Rajyam ticket in 2009 and on YSRC ticket in 2014.
On the other hand, ZPTC member G Sarayu and L Kota Mandal Parishad president G Srinivasu have made several complaints to Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana and Subba Reddy against Raju for attempting to create a rift in the YSRC cadre due to ‘personal’ rivalry with Rao.
S Kota is a bastion of TDP since its inception. A majority of population in the segment belongs to the Koppula Velama community, followed Kapu, Dasari, Kshatriya and other BC communities. Though S Kota is in Vizianagaram district, it comes under the purview of Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency. The TDP has won the seat seven times so far. After two unsuccessful attempts, Rao who belongs to the Koppula Velama community, won the seat with more than 11,000 votes in the last elections.
Raju, who belongs to the Kshatriya community, is said to be a dominant force in the segment. His wife Subbalakshmi is S Kota Mandal Parishad's vice-president. Rao’s opponents have started openly opposing his candidature from S Kota in the ensuing elections.
Denying the allegations against him, Rao has exuded confidence of retaining the seat in the ensuing elections and highlighted the development achieved by the segment in the last five years.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior YSRC leader said, “Though the differences between the MLA and MLC have come to the notice of the YSRC leadership, it has failed to resolve the issue. The YSRC needs to take a decision on appointment of the constituency in charge at the earliest to gear up the party for the polls.”