Ganta and co upset with Ayyanna's comments

Visakhapatnam: The jibes at turncoats by senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Ayyanna Patrudu has not only upset Ganta Srinivasa Rao and five others MLAs, who joined TDP at Praja Garjana here on Wednesday, but also the TDP cadres who are banking on Ganta's leadership during the coming elections.

Ganta is not new to the TDP. In fact, he started his political career with it in 1999 when he won the Anakapalle Lok Sabha seat.

Though new to politics, Ganta humbled former Minister Gudivada Gurunatha Rao. He has continued his giant-killing act ever since while notching up handsome wins over political heavyweights, including Balireddy Satyarao,
Konathala Ramakrishna and Dadi Veerabhadra Rao.

With such a track record, his presence was welcomed by all parties and he preferred TDP and Chandrababu Naidu as his political mentor. Even while TDP was rejoicing his entry, Ayyanna Patrudu's sardonic remarks
caused a flutter and did not go down well with the cadre.

Even the strict disciplinarian Naidu looked bemused at the verbal tirade and has reportedly taken exception to the remarks that were made right under his nose.

'What is this, Sir? This has become a daily affair and I can't take it anymore,' the exasperated Ganta had reportedly told Naidu, who subsequently pacified him.

As if to settle the issue once and for all, the TDP president on Thursday made it a point to assure the party cadres that there would be no problem with those who left other parties to join TDP.

Significantly, Ganta and his MLAs did not attend the party workers' meeting on Wednesday night or on Thursday morning, to protest Patrudu's caustic remarks.

What worries Patrudu is that he is not as popular as Ganta who has a way with cadre and leaders alike. It is only a matter of time before Ganta would emerge as one among the top in the party.

Already another former Minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy is not seeing eye to eye with Patrudu whose rude behavior sometimes even upset the scribes.

Now Bandaru's group is looking to Ganta's support to tackle their common enemy. They have now a stick to beat with. Patrudu's weakenss is his son, Vijaya Babu for whom he is reportedly seeking a ticket in the ensuing elections.

Unless he stops his uncharitable remarks against top leaders, particularly when changing parties in politics is the order of the day, he is likely to be tackled strongly.