ANANTAPUR: Telugu Desam Party has to blame its leaders' overconfidence and negligence for its failure to hold on to the majority given by the people and ultimately losing the Zilla Parishad Chairperson's post in Anantapur, according to party cadres. Bickering in the party is also learnt to have played a role.

Party cadres and loyal activists in their post-mortem of the debacle held two legislators, two former MPs and two former Ministers responsible. Sources in the party stated that all these key leaders who were steering the party's district unit after the killing of Paritala Ravindra were aware of the fact that G. Srikanth Reddy, party ZPTC member elected from Bukkaraya Samudram mandal, had been giving enough indication of his slippery nature from day one.

Cautioned

Party's ZPTC member J. Padmavathi was even learnt to have cautioned party leaders that Mr. Srikanth Reddy may slip out at the last moment, explaining that he had also tried to induce her into his plan of silent coup after finalising the formalities about `attractive returns' from the Congress.

But, the leaders were said to have taken the warning bells lightly.

The only effort made by the party leaders was to speak to the ZPTC member as a formality.

Sources said Srikanth Reddy was close to former MP K. Srinivasulu and former Minister P. Shamanthakamani who joined TDP before last Assembly elections. TDP ZPTC member from N.P. Kunta T. Raghavaiah, who defected to Congress along with Srikanth Reddy, was a confidante of another former MP B.K. Parthasarathi.

But for Srikanth Reddy's push, Raghavaiah would have had no guts to cross over to the rival party, sources explained.

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