TDP set to erase Junior NTR's impact on party

Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam leadership is all set to axe yet another loyalist of the film star Junior NTR and thus finally remove the film star's impact on the party in the city.

The party had suffered heavily when the sitting MLA from Gudivada, Kodali Nani, a close confidant of the film star, left the party a couple of months ago.

It was felt that the party urban president, Vallabhaneni Vamsi Mohan, the second lieutenant of the film star, would also leave the party and join the YSR Congress.

In fact, Vamsi had met YS Jaganmohan Reddy when the latter arrived in the city to admit a former legislator, Vangaveeti Radha Krishna into the party.

It is a widely known fact that Kodali Nani, Vamsi and Radha Krishna are close friends, even today, and are loyal to the young hero.

As both Nani and Radha Krishna are already in the YSR Congress, the TD leaders, who are against Vamsi, are spreading rumours that he too would quit the party one day.

In this backdrop, the party leadership wants to move him out of the party urban responsibilities and thus reduce him to an ordinary leader.

The party leadership is of the opinion that there would be no harm to the party if he quits when he is out of the party urban president post. It is for this reason the leadership is making moves to strip him of the urban president post soon.

The party chief N Chandrababu Naidu who is currently in East Godavari district as part of his 'Vastunna Meekosam Yatra' held one 'to-one interaction with the party urban leaders the other day and had given enough indications on the change of guard.

While Vamsi is learned to have started exploring options either to stay back in the party and confine to his home constituency, Gannavaram, or follow his friends, Kodali Nani and Radha Krishna.

Meanwhile, the alternatives brought forward by the party leadership are causing squabbles among Backward Classes in the city. BC leader K Nagul Meera is tipped to succeed Vamsi.

While Meera's supporters see it as elevation to their leader, the supporters of Buddha Venkanna, are suspecting a conspiracy by the party leadership to snub their leader.

In fact, Venkanna has been leading the party in Vijayawada West Assembly segment for the past couple of years and led a serious agitation, including the one on flyover at Kanakadurga temple in which Chandrababu Naiu himself took part.

At a time when Venkanna's name is figured as a candidate in the next Assembly elections, the projection of Nagul Meera as urban party president is seen as a conspiracy to deny him party ticket.

It is to be seen how the party would handle the situation with several sections sensing conspiracy in the latest move. While Vamsi's supporters see a conspiracy to snub their leader, the supporters of Venkanna smell a plot by the party to split the BC vote bank in Vijayawada West Assembly constituency.