REACHING OUT: TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu addressing a party rally at Eeduru in West Godavari district on Tuesday.

EEDURU (WEST GODAVARI District): The visit by former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu to this tiny prosperous delta village on Tuesday seemed to be having a far-reaching consequence in terms of the organisational chemistry of the party. Mr. Naidu came to this village following an invitation from the second rung leadership within the party much against the wishes of party seniors, especially Dandu Sivarama Raju, former minister and convener of Attili Assembly constituency under which this Kshatriya-dominant village fell.

Statues unveiled

The TDP chief unveiled the statues of party founder N.T. Rama Rao, architect of Dhaveleswaram Barrage Sir Arthor Cotton, freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju and the nonagenarian village chieftain Mantena Suraparaju. He also addressed an impressive gathering of party workers who gathered from all corners of the district.

The sulky mood of the party seniors was conspicuously noticed with the absence of Mr. Sivarama Raju, another set of former ministers Garapati Sambhasiva Rao from Denduluru and Kalidindi Ramachandra Raju from Undi, and former MLA P.V Narasimha Raju from Bhimavaram. Interestingly, Mr Naidu inaugurated the newly built party office of Attili Assembly constituency in the absence of its convener.

That the TDP chief's visit gave a boost to the young blood within the district party was evident with many youth leaders from various Assembly constituencies taking a keen interest in making it a grand success.

Chintamaneni Prabhakar from Pedavedi mandal, who has been projected as an alternative youth leader to Mr. Garapati Sambhasiva Rao in Denduluru segment, came in a huge convoy of 100 cars to take part in the programme.

Mr. Sivarama Raju, a sexagenarian party leader, who held several key positions in the party and in the government under the TDP ruling, seemed losing ground to the second line leaders in Attili with this visit of Mr. Naidu. The seniors in the district party are facing a criticism for a long time that they were hindering the party's growth by becoming a stumbling block for the development of second line leadership.

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