Telugu Desam Party, which once had a strong cadre base in north-coastal Andhra Pradesh, appears to be on the brink of complete collapse, thanks to the stubborn stand taken by party president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on retaining Amaravati as the state capital.
In a way, Naidu is adamantly playing a political gamble by risking the party prospects in the north coastal Andhra by insisting that there should be only one capital for Andhra Pradesh and it should be Amaravati.
At the same time, he is least bothered about the sentiments and feelings of his party cadre in other regions of the state. Naturally, the leaders and cadre are compelled to part ways from the party and look for greener pastures.
Already, the TDP has lost its ground in the north-coastal Andhra districts. The party could win just six assembly seats in three districts and almost all the top leaders of the party had to bite the dust. The cadre is in a state of disarray, unable to predict what is going to be their future.
Now, with the party president himself opposing Visakhapatnam as the executive capital of the state, many of the party leaders are now worried about their fate. They are now wondering whether there was any point in continuing in the party.
Sources said former minister from Srikakulam Kondru Muralimohan Rao, who joined the TDP after 2014 elections, is planning to desert the party and join the YSR Congress party.
He has openly extended his support to Visakhapatnam as the capital city. He may take the plunge into the YSRC anytime.
There is a talk that many other senior TDP leaders including former ministers and former MLAs are also thinking of switching over the loyalties to the YSRC.
Anyway, Jagan’s decision to shift the executive capital to Visakhapatnam has rattled the TDP completely.