Khammam: The rank and file of the TRS are surprised over the groupism and division that has broken out in the party, with leaders holding rallies and counter-rallies in various constituencies in Khammam district.
The TRS cadre in Sattupalli Assembly constituency for instance are divided between two groups led by legislator Sandra Venkata Veeraiah and former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy.
Transport minister P. Ajay Kumar and Veeraiah took part in a rally in Kandukuru in Sattupalli segment and addressed the people there. Veeraiah’s associates turned up with about 300 cars.
To counter this, Srinvasa Reddy took out a rally the same day in Kandukuru. This was under the guise of a visit to the Venkateswara Swamy temple revival programme, in which hundreds of his followers participated.
K. Sanjeeva Reddy, a TRS activist in Vemsoor, said that the groupism that had started in the ruling party was not the way it functioned. “We have not seen such groups in the TRS for the last eight years. This is new to the party. This looks like the dissidence seen in the Congress.”
TRS workers are divided into two groups in each and every village in Sattupalli constituency.
The situation is the same in Palair Assembly constituency. Police filed a case against 12 TRS activists on the direction of Palair MLA K. Upender Reddy. The activists are staunch supporters of former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao. His followers staged a dharna in front of Khammam Rural police station against arrest of their colleagues.
Such groupism is also being seen in Madhira and Wyra Assembly constituencies in Khammam district and Kothagudem and Pinapaka in Bhadradri district.
K. Ramakrishna, a political analyst, said that there was a lot of freedom in the Congress and any leader could oppose another. “There was no such freedom in the TRS and the leaders have to follow the party line. All this started after MLAs from other parties joined the TRS,” he said.
Interestingly, the TRS presidents of the two district party units have remained mere spectators and have not taken any steps to check such activities.
