KADAPA: Former MLA of Mydukur S. Raghurami Reddy has been appointed Kadapa district president of Telugu Desam Party and former MLA of Kadapa as general secretary, amidst `high drama' and protests by partymen here on Wednesday.

Party observers -- G. Sukhender Reddy and Parthasarathi, both former MPs, had a tough time with Rajya Sabha member C. Ramachandraiah, who was tipped for district party president post, disapproving the city committee recently appointed by TDP Polit Bureau member K. Sivananda Reddy and threatening to quit the party if the city committee was changed.

Mr. Sivananda Reddy boycotted the party meeting resenting Mr. Sukhender Reddy's remarks during an opinion mobilisation drive on Tuesday night that the former had no right to appoint the city committee as he was not in charge of Kadapa constituency.

Meeting boycotted

Decrying the remarks, city committee president B. Arifullah, S. Subhan Basha, Nazeer Ahmed and other partymen belonging to Mr. Sivananda Reddy's group announced a boycott and staged a dharna at the meeting venue.

When the protesters insisted that justice would not be done to party activists if Mr. Sivananda Reddy did not attend the meeting, Mr. Ramachandraiah announced that the city committee election was carried out in a haphazard manner. The observers were empowered to appoint a city committee and not the district president or constituency in charge, but he would apprise party president N. Chandrababu Naidu of it and accommodate B. Hari Prasad, the outgoing city president.

Subsequently Mr. Sukhender Reddy persuaded Mr. Sivananda Reddy to take part in the meeting. Though most party leaders and activists favoured Mr. Ramachandraiah as district president, he declined to accept the responsibility in view of his pre-occupations but promised to cooperate in the party affairs.

Thereupon, party leaders favoured Mr. Raghurami Reddy for district president post, but he expressed reluctance. However, party leaders prevailed upon him and declared him the district party president. Khaleel Basha was declared district general secretary. The remaining office-bearers would be announced on Thursday, the observers said.

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