Kakinada: Change of Telugu Desam’s Undi Assembly segment candidate Manthena Rama Raju in West Godavari district seems imminent.
Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu called the sitting MLA Rama Raju to Amalapuram on Friday and advised him to get ready for a ‘sacrifice’ of his interests for the party’s sake, and that justice would be done to him by the party later.
Naidu said Rama Raju was called in inevitable situations. “Due to the alliance deal, some TD seats are being changed. The Narsapuram seat has been given to BJP. The alliance format has caused some problems in allotment of seats and selection of candidates in some of the constituencies,” he admitted.
The TD chief said Rama Raju did very well to promote the party’s causes and developed the constituency in the past five years. “Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju was victimised by Jagan Mohan Reddy and I also had to go to jail.”
“Jagan Mohan Reddy has plotted a conspiracy to send many such leaders to jail. TD, Jana Sena and BJP are holding discussions on changing some candidates and we will soon be taking a decision in such matters,” he said.
Naidu also urged TD leaders and cadres to maintain patience, understand the problem and support any decision taken by the TD.
Rama Raju told the media that Chandrababu has tried to pacify the TD cadres but did not reveal his decision. “I would take a decision after consulting my associates,” Raju said.
Meanwhile, TD cadres and leaders are staging agitations in Undi constituency, demanding that the TD high command should not change Rama Raju’s candidature. They opposed the candidature of Raghu Rama Krishna Raju.
They said that Rama Raju has strived hard for strengthening the party even in adverse political conditions and has prevailed in the constituency for the past five years.
