The Hindu : Angry TDP leaders quit posts

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 26, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Angry TDP leaders quit posts

By Our Staff Reporter

NIZAMABAD, MARCH 25. The decision of the Telugu Desam Party to allot Kamareddy Assembly seat to the Bharatiya Janata Party has triggered protests in the party. The TDP has decided to shift the BJP seat to Kamareddy from Nizamabad as part of seat-sharing.

In the 1999 elections, Nizamabad segment was allotted to the BJP but the party lost it. TDP leaders were particular that the Nizamabad segment should be kept with it keeping in view the large minority votes.

The announcement on Kamareddy segment has triggered protests from TDP leaders in Kamareddy division while BJP leaders reacted with anger in Armoor for allotting the seat to the TDP and threatened to quit their posts.

Angered by the decision, over 100 mandal-level TDP leaders and cadre on Thursday tendered their resignation to party posts and went to Hyderabad to lodge their strong protest. News of the seat going to the BJP came as a rude shock to the two strong aspirants - the former Government Whip, Syed Yusuf Ali and the former MLA, Gampa Goverdhan. TDP cadre took to streets in Bhikanoor mandal where Mr. Gampa Goverdhan has good influence over party cadre. They staged a rasta roko at Baswapur village and Bhikanoor mandal headquarters. A number of mandal office-bearers of the TDP and its frontal outfits resigned as a mark of protest.

In Domakonda, more than 50 TDP activists resigned from the party.

In Armoor, the BJP leaders reacted sharply to the developments. The BJP constituency in-charge, Shivraj Kumar, and others announced their decision to quit party posts. All of them are strong supporters of the BJP State secretary, Aljapur Srinivas, who was a strong aspirant for the Armoor seat.

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Andhra Pradesh