Hyderabad: Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu set the cat among the pigeons when he named new entant and LB Nagar party candidate R. Krishnaiah as the party’s chief ministerial candidate in Telangana, if the party comes to power in the new state. Mr Naidu made the sensational announcement while addressing a public meeting in Bellampalli in Adilabad district on Wednesday.
“Mr Krishnaiah fought for the Backward Classes for 40 years. He joined our party recently. He has launched 6,000 agitations for women and the weaker sections. I appointed him in-charge of the party campaign committee and gave him the LB Nagar seat. I am now announcing that Mr R. Krishnaiah will be the TD’s chief ministerial candidate in Telangana. Please bless him,” Mr Naidu said.
The TD chief said that an NDA win was a “historical necessity” and was confident that the party would win both in Seemandhra and Telangana.
“While Mr Krishnaiah fought for the people, KCR fought for family and vasool. When I haven’t feared guns and claymore mines, will I fear this useless KCR? I am not scared of anyone,” he said.
Though Mr Naidu is trying to play the BC card in Telangana, where it is difficult for the party to win against the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Congress, his decision is bound to create unrest within the party, where there are several BC leaders who would think themselves to be more worthy of consideration.
BC leaders of long standing in the party include T. Devender Goud, Telangana Election Committee in-charge L. Ramana, and T. Srinivas Yadav. The party also has SC (scheduled caste) leaders like M. Narasimhulu who may think that they deserve the post more.
CM-elect Mr Krishnaiah led a BC organisation for a long time and joined the TD recently. The party cadre was unhappy when he was made the candidate from LB Nagar and his convoy was attacked when he went to file his nomination papers.
A senior TD functionary referred to Mr Naidu’s announcement as an “unnecessary controversy.” “It will create unrest among the existing partymen as a new entrant has been promoted in the midst of electioneering.”
