Nellore: With district minister P. Narayana busy with new capital affairs and other senior leaders such as Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy confining to their respective constituencies, the affairs of TD are in disarray in Nellore. Party loyalist themselves admit that the party stature was better when they were in Opposition compared to now. To be precise, all the party activities used to rally around Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and his word used to be the final in party district unit before the party came to power in 2014.
Things changed drastically after Narayana belonging to the district was made minister and his alleged instructions to all the party leaders to mind their respective constituencies and stop interfering with other segments. Though his followers claim that his intention behind giving directions was meant to strengthen the party especially seven segments where they lost the seat to YSR Congress, it did not go well with senior party leaders. The seniors cited the instructions of the minister to party bigwigs when they questioned rationale behind weak base of party in some segments.
Though the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu made senior leader Chandramohan Reddy as MLC along with Beeda Ravichandra, things did not change because there was no initiative from the minister to make use of Chandramohan Reddy's services. Although Ravichandra, being district unit president and coordinating between the groups in the party, his job became more complex following the induction of YSR Congress and Congress leaders especially Anam group into since most of the old guard in TD were their victims and last thing they want is work with the group.
Giving strength to their suspicion, Anam group aimed guns on Nellore Mayor Abdul Azeez, who is also a migrant to TD like them, openly causing jitters to the loyalists of the party. The recent developments in Nellore Corpor-ation, where differences between the minister P. Narayana and Mayor came to the fore following a demolition drive and suspension of seven town planning officials at one go, further deteriorated the party image.
Party leaders and cadre are also sore over the importance being given by the minister to the new entrants into party such as Anam's. A party loyalist has underlined the need for party high command intervention to pacify the ruffled feelings of party senior leaders and send a strong message to the new entrants to follow party discipline if the party is really serious about future. Referring to the ongoing land row between Nellore City legislator Dr Anilkumar Yadav and Mayor Abdul Azeez, he expressed surprise at the silence of senior leaders on the issue.
