Thamballapalle TD In-Charge Shankar Yadav Faces Tough Task Of Uniting Leaders

TIRUPATI: Former MLA G. Shankar Yadav has been appointed as the Telugu Desam Party (TD) in-charge of Thamballapalle constituency in Annamayya district, ending months of uncertainty over the post. His appointment comes with the onerous challenge of bringing together different groups within the party ahead of the forthcoming local body elections.

The post has remained vacant after TDP suspended former constituency in-charge Dasaripalle Jayachandra Reddy for his role in the Mulakalacheruvu spurious liquor case. The delay in appointing a replacement for Jayachandra Reddy led to competition among Telugu Desam party leaders in Thamballapalle, leading to differences arising between their supporters.

Jayachandra's wife Kalpana Reddy and Surendra Yadav of Angallu had been among those in the race for the post of Thamballapalle TD in-charge. Sources said the party leadership held meetings at Horsley Hills and Tirupati to seek the views of local leaders and workers. However, continued differences between the groups delayed the decision. Subsequent meetings planned over the issue in Vijayawada had also been postponed.

After careful deliberations, the TD leadership has finally chosen Shankar Yadav. TD state president Palla Srinivasa Rao issued the order appointing him the party in-charge of Thamballapalle on Wednesday.

Shankar Yadav's experience and association with party workers are said to have swung the party’s decision in his favour. The BC factor also played a role.

A native of T. Sadum village in PTM mandal, Shankar Yadav entered electoral politics in 2009 on a Congress ticket. He later joined the TD and won the Thamballapalle Assembly seat in 2014. He had been defeated in the 2019 assembly elections. In the 2024 assembly polls, TD candidate Jayachandra Reddy too faced a defeat in Thamballapalle.

The appointment of Shankar Yadav, however, is not expected to end the differences within the party. The suspension of Jayachandra Reddy from TDP has brought into open the differences between the supporters of Jayachandra Reddy and Shankar Yadav. The competition for in-charge post, for which Jayachandra Reddy pushed his wife Kalpana’s name, has added to their differences.

Telugu Desam leadership has asked Shankar Yadav to bring the different groups together and improve the unity within the organisation in Thamballapalle constituency. TD national president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has made it clear to Shankar Yadav that his first task must be to address the differences within the party and bring rival groups together. Only then should he focus on other organisational works, sources said.

With the local body elections approaching, Shankar Yadav thus has his task cut out. However, party sources said bringing the rival groups together before the elections would not be an easy job.