The Telugu Desam Party on Saturday looked like a divided house in Anantapur with not a single leader backing Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna in his fight against the YSR Congress Party announcing Puttaparthi as the headquarters of proposed new Sri Sathya Sai District.
Mr. Balakrishna along with a host of TDP workers along with some second-rung leaders of other political parties (except for YSRCP) came in a massive vehicle convoy from Hindupur to Anantapur and met District Collector Nagalakshmi Selvarajan in her chambers and explained their reasoning for opposing Puttaparthi as district headquarters.
Prominent party leaders from that region — Hindupur district president B.K. Parthasarathi and former government whip Palle Raghunatha Reddy — were conspicuous by their absence.
“Our all-party delegation will soon meet Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to seek announcement of Hindupur as Sri Sathya Sai District headquarters as per the election manifesto of the party,” Mr. Balakrishna told mediapersons on the Collectorate premises. Naming Vijayawada city-centric newly carved district after N.T. Rama Rao was only a political gimmick to divert the attention of the people from the PRC issue, he said.
“If they wished to honour N.T. Rama Rao, they should not have scrapped the Anna Canteens, should have acted against people who had vandalised the NTR statues. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had never scrapped the schemes introduced by NTR, but Mr. Jagan behaves in an autocratic manner going against the people’s will,” the Hindupur MLA replied to a question.
He said, “the YSRCP MLC Shaik Mohammed Iqbal was for making Hindupur as district headquarters and if the councilors in the municipality also wish to support the cause, they should resign from their posts taking a cue from my decision to resign.”
Madakasira former MLAs Gundumala Thippeswamy and K. Eranna, who had separately come to District Collector’s office seeking Madakasira as new Revenue Division, met the other TDP leaders.
