That sitting YSR Congress party MLA from Chilakaluripet Vidadala Rajini enjoys tremendous clout with the powers-that-be in Tadepalli was once again evident from the way the party finalised the name of Kavati Manohar Naidu for the seat in the coming assembly elections.
According to sources, it was Rajini, who used her influence in the party and got the party ticket to Manohar Naidu in place of existing party in-charge coordinator Mallela Rajesh Naidu.
Reason is simple: Rajesh Naidu made strong allegations against Rajini saying that she had taken Rs 6.5 crore from him and when he had asked her to return the money, she avoided him.
“Under a lot of pressure, she returned only Rs 3 crore,” he said.
He also alleged that even party general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy had supported Rajini and had done a lot of injustice to him.
Sources said Rajesh Naidu was in fact a close follower of Rajini and was made in-charge of Chilakaluripet only on her recommendation, after Jagan shifted to Guntur (west) constituency.
“But now that he has raised a revolt against her, Rajini used her influence and got him dropped from the post,” sources said.
It is really surprising how Rajini, a first time MLA, has developed so much influence in the party, which several seniors who have been working for years do not have.
There have been allegations that Rajini made a mess of the party affairs in Chilakaluripet in the last five years and gained a lot of notoriety. In fact, survey reports indicate that she would lose the elections, if given the ticket again.
So, Jagan dropped her from Chilakaluripet, but she managed to get shifted to Guntur (West) for contesting the elections again.
At a time when many seniors could not get the party tickets despite a lot of hard work, Rajini could get the ticket without any hassles despite the negative reports against her.
“Maybe, her constituency is closer to Tadepalli and she makes frequent visit to the camp office, while others have no entry. That could be the reason why she could gain a lot of clout in the top leadership,” sources added.