TDP Faces Rebellion as Ganta Srinivasa Rao Eyes Ticket for Bheemili Seat

Nov 13, 2023, 16:36 IST

Bheemili: Differences in the Visakhapatnam TDP unit are coming to the fore following the party leadership’s hasty decision to pick candidates for the forthcoming elections in the state. The party’s rank and file is unhappy over the choice of candidates being picked by the party for the elections.

The district party cadre is upset as Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who was a HRD minister in Naidu’s cabinet, is hoping to contest the Assembly elections from Bheemunipatnam (Bheemili) segment. Rao had successfully contested from Visakha North in 2019 Assembly elections. Sensing that the voters and the TDP workers are not happy with his development works and his defeat is certain if he seeks re-election from Visakha North seat, Rao is now planning to fight elections from Bheemunipatnam assembly constituency. Changing party or assembly seats is not new for the TDP leader. This time, changing the assembly seat is not going to be easy for the former minister as Bheemili TDP incharge Korada Raja Babu is the strong contender for the party ticket from this constituency.

Following the humiliating defeat in the 2019 Assembly elections, the TDP leader Ganta Srinivasa Rao stayed away from party activities. He even gave a miss to party chief Chandrababu Naidu’s programme in North Andhra. And, now he’s eyeing for the party ticket from Bheemunipatnam constituency. The local party leader Raja Babu is apparently annoyed because Naidu appears to have forgiven Ganta Srinivasa Rao and is considering fielding him from the Bheemunipatnam seat.

Expressing his disappointment, Raja Babu shot off a letter to the party leadership saying the party cadre is demoralised and will not cooperate in the forthcoming elections if Rao is given ticket from the Bheemunipatnam constituency. Recently, when Ganta Srinivasa Rao came to attend a party programme in Bheemunipatnam, Raja Babu refused to share the stage with him.

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