In any political party, it is the party president who is supreme and the ultimate decision making authority. It is the prerogative of the party president to select candidates for any election, especially for the assembly and parliamentary elections.
Even if the local influential leaders have any say in the selection of candidates, it is the party president who has to approve the same and announce the names, after discussing with various sections within the party and taking into consideration, the caste and community equations.
This has been the situation even in the Telugu Desam Party till now.
Known for his strong cadre and strict discipline, it is party president N Chandrababu Naidu who had been holding complete grip over the party.
Though the party had witnessed rumblings from the disgruntled elements in the selection of candidates by Naidu, nobody questioned him.
Those who differed with him left the party, but ultimately, it was Naidu’s choice. There was no practice of the TDP leaders declaring themselves as party candidates in any elections, as of now.
However, the situation seems to be changing in the TDP of late.
For example, in Anantapur district, the local TDP leaders seem to be ignoring Naidu and declaring themselves as the party candidates in the next elections.
Take the case of former minister Paritala Sunitha, who represented Rapthadu assembly constituency till 2014, after her own stronghold Penukonda was reserved for SCs. Penukonda was earlier represented by her husband Paritala Ravindra, who was killed in a faction feud.
When Ravindra was alive, he used to dictate the entire Anantapur politics of the TDP, but not ignoring the party president – whether it was N T Rama Rao in the past or Chandrababu Naidu later. He used to follow the party line.
Sunitha, who won from Rapthadu in 2009 and 2014, did not contest the elections in 2019 but fielded her son Paritala Sriram.
However, Sriram lost to YSR Congress party’s Topudurthi Prakash Reddy, who established himself as a strong force in Rapthadu in the last two and a half years.
Realising that it is very difficult for Sriram to face Topudurthy again in the next elections, Sunitha shifted her attention to the neighbouring Dharmavaram constituency.
At a recent meeting in Dharmavaram, Sunitha declared Sriram as the TDP candidate from Dharmavaram in the next assembly elections.
Both the mother and the son toured extensively in the constituency and interacted with the party cadre and also local people.
She made an open announcement that Sriram would be contesting the next elections from Dharmavaram and asked their support.
So, Sriram would be fighting against local YSRC MLA Kethireddy Venkatram Reddy, who is also very strong in Dharmavaram.
It is different matter whether Sriram would succeed in the elections this time, but it was rather surprising to see Sunitha declaring the party candidates for the next elections.
One wonders whether Sunitha has really taken the approval of Naidu or has cared a damn for the party president.
If she has taken the decision on her own, it is nothing but the weakness of the TDP chief.