The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Ramamurthy Naidu quits Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Ramamurthy Naidu quits Congress

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI. April 6. Normal life was disrupted in the district following angry demonstrations by party workers belonging to both the TDP and the Congress at different parts protesting against the denial of ticket to their leaders.

The worst hit in the `gambling' for ticket was Ramamurthy Naidu, the estranged younger brother of the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu. Though he jumped into the Congress bandwagon a couple of months ago, heaping invectives on his elder sibling amid hopes of being accommodated in any one of the Assembly or the Parliamentary seats in the district, the euphoria created over his entry into the Congress did not last long sparking speculation as to whether the Congress would allot him ticket at all. The fears of Mr. Ramamurthy's followers have indeed come true, triggering an instant protest from them at Tirupati. The irate crowd, amid heavy anti-Congress sloganeering, made a bonfire of Congress flags in front of his residence here.

At a hurriedly convened press conference on Tuesday, Mr. Ramamurthy Naidu held his brother, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu responsible for his `humiliation' and charged that he wielded his `money power' in Delhi through the TTD Board Chairman and TDP candidate for the Chittoor Lok Sabha seat, D.K. Audikesavulu, to see that he did not get ticket anywhere in the district. "He did it out of shere malice which he nursed from the beginning against me," he said and accused the Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and the Congress top brass of having `buckled in' to Mr. Chandrababu Naidu's "money power.''

He announced his resignation from the Congress and declared that he would be contesting as an independent candidate from his native Chandragiri constituency.

There are also reports from Nagari and Vayalapadu about disruption caused to normal life and vehicular traffic following angry demonstrations by TDP workers denouncing the denial of ticket in the last minute to their leaders and the allotment of the same to `rank outsiders and political non-entities'. At Nagari, traffic on the busy Tirupati-Chennai highway was thrown out of gear with the supporters of Doraswamy Raju, film producer and former MLA, putting up road blocks resenting the denial of the ticket to their leader and allotting the same to film actress Roja, who they alleged `came from nowhere'.

Vayalpadu also witnessed similar scenes as TDP workers supporting the former MLA and a strong contender for party ticket, Chinthala Ramachandra Reddy, held up traffic on the highway amid loud protests against Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, who discarded Chinthala and pitchforked an Eluru-based Magistrate, Imtiaz, who however belonged to the Vayalpadu area. In fact, Mr. Naidu was keen on fielding Roja in the constituency as she hailed from here.

Uncertainty prevails over the TDP's Tirupati candidate as well. Though Mr. Chandrababu Naidu has reportedly declared the TUDA Chairman, N.V. Prasad, and the nephew of the sitting MLA, Chadalawada, as the candidate for the seat, party sources said that there was a hitch over the issue with Chadalawada reportedly insisting that ticket be allotted either to him or none in his family putting Prasad's position in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, the Congress has finalised the names for crucial constituencies. Information reaching here said that it gave its Tirupati ticket to the town Congress president, M.Venkatramana, ignoring the strong claims of B. Karunakar Reddy, the PCC Secretary and a close follower of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Similarly, G. Muddukrishnama Naidu, the PCC spokesperson, was given the Puttur seat which at one stage looked certain to evade him. To take on the TDP strongman and the Minister, Gopalakrishna Reddy, at Srikalahasti, the Congress is fielding ex-TDP leader and a cable network owner, S.C.V. Naidu. The Congress has allotted its ticket for the Chittoor Lok Sabha seat to R. Venkataswamy, preferring him over the former MP and a party veteran, Gnanender Reddy, triggering a backlash in the district headquarters town.

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