PEDDAPALLI: Even as the TRS is gearing for early polls, the differences among party leaders have come to the fore with Ramagundam MLA and Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) chairman Somavarapu Satyanarayana on Monday announcing his retirement from politics.
He claimed that he was doing so as he was unable to develop his constituency due to the interference of a few leaders. Satyanarayana and Municipal Corporation of Ramagundam (MCR) mayor K Laxminarayana have been at loggerheads over controlling local politics for the last two years.
It may be recalled that around 39 corporators, including the MLA’s followers, Congress and BJP corporators, submitted notice to district collector Sridevasena requesting a no-confidence motion against mayor Laxminarayana on May 5. Laxminarayana alleged that the no- confidence motion notice had been issued at the behest of Satyanarayana.
The matter went to municipal administration minister KT Rama Rao, who directed the MLA to ask his corporators to withdraw the notice. Though the MLA agreed to follow the directions of the party high command, the corporators refused to do so and said that they would go ahead with the no-confidence motion against the mayor. The MLA reportedly announced his decision to quit politics as he felt that the party leadership was supporting the mayor.
Indirectly blaming the mayor for the backwardness of his constituency, he said, “I am not able to take up development work in my constituency. People are questioning me. I have no answer to why this constituency is not developed. I am so ashamed that I am not able to do anything.”Satyanarayana was Ramagundam municipality chairman for six years, Ramagundam MLA for the last nine years and RTC chairman for the last two years.