Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

TDP leaders quit party en masse

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, APRIL 3. In a dramatic turn of events, dissident leaders of the TDP in the Gorantla Assembly constituency announced their resignation to the party en masse late last night at Kothacheruvu in protest against renomination of the Minister for Animal Husbandry, N. Kistappa.

The Penukonda strongman, Paritala Ravindra, who is a member of the party's steering committee set up for elections, along with a few other leaders of the party went to Kothacheruvu to pacify the dissidents. The party leadership was learnt to have told them to speak to only a handful of dissidents.

But, the TDP leaders, who went for negotiating a rapprochement, spoke to the dissidents at an open meeting. They had, in fact, convinced the dissidents at a separate meeting at Puttaparthi to work together for the party on the directions of the party president. However, the dissidents changed their mind within minutes of the negotiations and left Puttaparthi.

The reason gave by the dissidents led by Shankarappa, the former chairman of Satya Sai Urban Development Authority, for their sudden change of mind was that party workers had started making "wild charges'' against them that they had surrendered to the Minister.

Mr. Kistappa was supposed to attend the meeting but he was learnt to have kept himself away, knowing well in advance the decision of the dissidents. Interestingly, Mr. Shankarappa and a majority of other dissidents are the followers of Mr. Ravindra.

It is also being speculated that Mr. Shankarappa will contest as an independent as part of the dissidents' `pact' with the Congress aspirant, P. Ravindra Reddy, who is likely to get ticket, to affect Mr. Kistappa's prospects.

On the other hand, Mr. Kistappa too is said to be ready to repay the dissidents with the same coin by encouraging the Congress leader, P.C. Ganganna, to contest as a rebel.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News: Southern States | Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• TDP leaders quit party en masse
• Security arrangements for polls reviewed

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu