Bickering in Adilabad BRS comes to the fore

Adilabad: The Athmeeya Sammelanams of BRS in various assembly segments in Adilabad district have been turned into a platform where differences among the ruling party leaders and the party’s sitting MLAs in the respective constituencies are gaining the upper hand.

Second-rung leaders and senior BRS leaders say there is no meaning in organising the Athmeeya Sammelanams by sitting MLAs now, as they had ignored such matters all these years but woke up at a time when elections are nearing.

The sitting MLAs are trying to show that there is perfect harmony between them and the local leaders, and that they are enjoying the support of the cadre and leaders. There are no “differences” in the party in their respective constituencies, they aver.

In Boath assembly constituency BRS leaders and the party cadre stood in two groups -- one led by MLA Rathod Bapurao and the other by MPP Thula Srinivas, on Sunday. The local police locked the gates of the function hall where Thula Srinivas organised the ‘Bharosa Sammelan’; and the cops later unlocked the gates, it is reported.

Surprisingly, former Adilabad MP Godam Nagesh, who had differences with the sitting MLA Rathod Bapurao, was absent at the two meetings held at the Boath mandal headquarters. Godam Nagesh is aspiring for the BRS ticket from Boath and Thula Srinivas is supporting Nagesh.   

MLC Gangadhar Goud, the party observer for the Athmeeya Sammelanams for Adilabad and Nirmal districts, participated in MLA Rathod Ramesh’s meeting. He made it clear that the party would treat the meeting organised under the leadership of the local MLA as the party’s official meeting. In the meeting, a supporter of Rathod Bapurao said Bapu Rao would win the next assembly polls and become the tribal affairs minister.         

The rival groups organised separate Athmeeya and Bharosa Sammelanams the same day. Bapu Rao said there was no other group in the party in the constituency. He claimed that all the BRS leaders and supporters joined his Athmeeya Sammelanam while a small section of the leaders was trying to create nuisance. 

This is for the first time the differences between the BRS leaders and sitting MLAs surfaced so openly, with the holding of separate meetings by two rival groups. This has become a headache for the BRS top leadership.

Boath MPP Thula Srinivas said, “We organised the meeting since we did not get an invitation for Rathod Bapuraos’ Athmeeya Sammelanam. A good number of Sarpaches and MPTCs participated in the Thula Srinivas Bharosa meeting.

The photos of former Adilabad MP Godam Nagesh and Adilabad MLA Jogu Ramanna were prominently carried in the flexis put up at the Thula Srinivas meeting.

Meanwhile, differences cropped up among senior party leader K Srihari Rao and minister Indrakaran Reddy in Nirmal a few days ago. Srihari Rao termed the Atmeeya Sammelanam organised by Indrakaran Reddy as fake and said it can’t bring rival group leaders together.