The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Telangana looms large over TDP ‘Mahanadu'

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Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Telangana looms large over TDP ‘Mahanadu'

K. Venkateshwarlu

Nagam Janardhan Reddy's suspension casts shadow over meet

Hot debate likely on major challenge from Y.S.R. Congress
Tackling infighting, “succession war” an arduous task for Naidu

HYDERABAD: The Telangana issue and the suspension of party Polit Bureau member Nagam Janardhan Reddy appear to have cast a shadow over the Telugu Desam Party's annual three-day conclave, ‘Mahanadu,' beginning here on Friday.

Dr. Reddy, a senior MLA from Telangana and till recently chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, was suspended from the party on Wednesday for “anti- party activities” after he pressured party president N. Chandrababu Naidu to take a strident stand on Telangana by writing a letter to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.

The suspension came immediately after a majority of the Telangana MLAs held a public meeting in Karimnagar, heartland of Telangana, to neutralise the revolt staged by Dr. Reddy and the growing influence of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Telangana is not the only issue that stares at the party as it holds its 30 {+t} {+h} Mahanadu coinciding with the founder and the former Chief Minister, N. T. Rama Rao's 88 {+t} {+h} birth anniversary.

The party has still not made it clear whether the issue will come up for discussion at all.

Mr. Naidu faces other political challenges, as he leads the party without being in power for the second consecutive term, even as he tries hard to strike a balance between the interests in Telangana and Andhra/ Rayalaseema with what he calls his “two regions are like my two eyes” policy.

The major challenge that could be hotly debated in the Mahanadu is from the fledgling Y.S.R. Congress launched by Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy who made his mark by winning the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat by over five lakh votes.

Till the arrival of Jagan on the political firmament, the TDP was perceived to be recovering its lost ground with the Congress in disarray after the tragic death of the former Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

But now suddenly it looks vulnerable and there is talk in the party that Jagan could prove to be another spoilsport like the Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi did in the 2009 Assembly elections.

Not only from outside, Mr. Naidu has to contend with challenges from within. If there is infighting in some district units between an MP and an MLA in one and two former Ministers in another, an issue that is proving to be a headache for Mr. Naidu is the “succession war” triggered by his brother-in-law and Polit Bureau member Nandamuri Harikrishna.

The latter is bent upon projecting his son and Telugu film actor, NTR Junior against Mr. Naidu's son Lokesh as the next generation leader in the party. In spite of Mr. Naidu's warning and to his embarrassment, the local TDP unit of the Chandragiri Assembly constituency encompassing his native village has resolved to make Mr. Lokesh as in-charge.

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