The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) high command swung into action to cool down supporters of Srikakulam former MLA Gunda Lakshmi Devi and Patapatnam’s former legislator Kalamata Venkata Ramana who were denied tickets to contest in upcoming general elections.
TDP zonal coordinator Srinivasa Reddy, Srikakulam Parliamentary wing president Kuna Ravikumar held discussions with them and assured to convey their feelings to the party national president N. Chandrababu Naidu.
The party gave ticket to Srikakulam Sarpanches Association president Gondu Raghuram instead of Ms. Lakshmi Devi, whose supporters held a series of meetings. Ms. Lakshmi Devi’s son and senior scientist Gunda Viswanath who will return from the United States of America (USA) will also meet Mr. Chandrababu in a couple of days.
Former Minister Mr. Gunda Appala Surayanarayana, husband of Ms. Lakshmi Devi, urged the supporters not to air their views till the party announced their final decision. Mr. Venkata Ramana told emissaries that he would be forced to contest if the party failed to review its decision of giving ticket to Mamidi Govindarao in Patapatnam.