TD Infighting Stalls Progress in Nandikotkur
“Roads remain potholed, water connections falter, and public welfare projects stall. Unless Jayasurya and Shabari find a way to work together, Nandikotkur’s development will continue to suffer, and officials will struggle to serve the people effectively,” said a senior ruling party leader on condition of anonymity.
Kurnool: Factional rivalry in Nandikotkur’s reserved constituency has brought routine administration to a standstill, as two senior leaders from the ruling Telugu Desam vie for control. On one side is MLA Githa Jayasurya, backed by former MP Mandra Sivananda Reddy. On the other is MP Dr Byreddy Shabari, supported by her father, ex-legislator Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy. Though both leaders belong to the same party, their bitter feud is disrupting public services and leaving district officials uncertain about whose orders to follow.
Whenever MLA Jayasurya recommends an officer for a local posting—such as a police official or an engineer—MP Shabari uses her influence to have that same officer transferred out and replaced with someone from her own camp. This tit-for-tat approach forces officials to seek “double approval” before taking any action, considerably slowing down development works and welfare schemes. The extra paperwork and repeated transfers eat up valuable time and resources.
The recent conflict even played out publicly during the foundation stone ceremony for a new fire station. Organisers were compelled to hold two separate events—one for Jayasurya’s supporters and one for Shabari’s followers—because neither side would agree to share the same stage. This visible split embarrassed the local administration and highlighted how deep the divisions have become.
Recognising the damage to constituency development, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu summoned Jayasurya and Mandra Sivananda Reddy, urging them to reconcile and set aside personal differences with the other group. Officials remain caught in the middle, torn between conflicting directives from their own party leaders.
“Roads remain potholed, water connections falter, and public welfare projects stall. Unless Jayasurya and Shabari find a way to work together, Nandikotkur’s development will continue to suffer, and officials will struggle to serve the people effectively,” said a senior ruling party leader on condition of anonymity.
