The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rebels remain in fray; two senior leaders quit TDP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 11, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rebels remain in fray; two senior leaders quit TDP

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, APRIL 10. The rebel problem is still looming large over the official candidates in at least four Assembly constituencies in the district even after the withdrawal of nominations on Saturday.

A couple of crossovers and resignation from the parties has further complicated the candidate's equations.

In all, 102 candidates are left in the fray for the 14 Assembly constituencies and 11 for the two Lok Sabha seats after the withdrawal of nominations. Fifteen candidates have withdrawn from the Assembly contest and one from Lok Sabha constituency on the last day of withdrawals.

Meanwhile, the ruling TDP suffered a setback in two Assembly constituencies today due to the resignation of senior party leaders owing to non-allotment of party ticket. The party in-charge for Anantapur Assembly segment, V. Prabhakara Chowdary, resigned from the primary membership of the party today and decided to stay in the fray as Independent.

In his resignation letter sent to the party president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, Mr. Chowdary explained that he had lost the 1999 election with the least deficit in the district owing to the `sectarian' politics within the party. The forces which had defeated him last time had prevailed upon the leadership this time in denying the party ticket to him, he stated.

In Rayadurg Assembly constituency the senior TDP leader and a two-time former legislator, B. Hulikuntappa, quit the party and joined the Congress in protest against the denial ticket to him by the party. He has also withdrawn from the contest as an Independent in support of the Congress candidate.

Further, Mr. Hulikuntappa has campaigned for the Congress in Rayadurg town today and vowed to defeat the TDP candidate. The resignation of the two senior leaders of the TDP in Anantapur and Rayadurg segments is likely to have an adverse impact on the electoral prospects of the party candidates, K.M. Rahamatullah and M. Govinda Reddy, respectively. Though A. Jagadish has withdrawn from the fray as an Independent for Gooty Assembly constituency today it is being speculated that he is likely to join the TDP. Mr. Jagadish played a key role in the defeat of the Congress candidate, N. Gadi Lingappa, in 1999 elections by being in the fray as an independent.

The likely switch-over of Mr. Jagadish into TDP is also likely to have an adverse impact on the Congress candidate's prospects again this time.

Mr. Jagadish is a former legislator and was associated with the TDP during the last municipal elections in Guntakal by fielding his younger brother as the TDP candidate for the chairpersonship. However, the Congress candidate was elected.

The TDP is also facing rebel problem in Dharmavaram Assembly segment where S. Jayashree of the party is left in the fray as Independent. She went into exile from April 8 to escape the party attempts to pacify her. Similarly, K. Venkata Prasad of TDP is also left in the fray as Independent against the BJP candidate, M.S. Parthasarathi, at Kadiri. Efforts by the TDP leaders to prevail upon the rebel have proved futile so far.

On the other hand, the Congress is also facing rebels in Anantapur and Singanamala constituencies. Several senior leaders of the Congress are also supporting the Indepedent, K. Venkata Prasad, in Kadiri segment against the official nominee, J. Ramaiah.

Meanwhile, B.S. Vidyasagar of the BJP, who had filed his nomination papers as Independent from Hindupur, has also withdrawn in support of the TDP candidate. Irrespective of the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers the TDP, Congress and BJP leaders are continuing their efforts to win over the rebel candidates and the dissident groups in their parties.

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