The rebellion within the Telugu Desam Party in Vijayawada on the occasion of elections to Vijayawada Municipal Corporation appears to have died down with the direct intervention of party president N Chandrababu Naidu.
But the party leadership is still under suspicion that the rebel leaders – Buddha Venkanna, Bonda Uma and Nagul Meera might sabotage the party prospects in the elections, as they are hell bent on preventing TDP official candidate Kesineni Swetha, daughter of Vijayawada MP Kesineni Nani from becoming the Mayor.
According to the talk doing rounds in the TDP circles, the rebel leaders raised their voice at the party leadership under the direction of Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi, who defected from the TDP to the YSRC in 2019.
“Though Naidu pacified them and assured them of all help in the coming days, the rebel leaders are still in touch with Vamsi and are playing their cards as per his directions,” a TDP leader said.
It may be recalled that YSRC president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy entrusted the responsibility of winning Vijayawada municipal corporation elections to Vamsi.
But since Kesineni is a strong force in Vijayawada, Vamsi has begun moving pawns to split the TDP, sources said.
The TDP leadership is said to be under suspicion that Vamsi had used money power to lure Buddha, Bonda and Nagul Meera.
“They have been regularly talking to Vamsi and YSRC organising secretary Talasila Raghuram. Under the directions of Vamsi, these rebel leaders have been attacking Kesineni, thereby creating a confusion in the party cadres,” sources said.
Interestingly, senior TDP leader and former Mayor Koneru Sridhar, too, has been sabotaging the interests of the party by joining hands with Devineni Avinash, who also defected from TDP to YSRC.
Apparently, Sridhar is upset with the TDP chief for denying the party ticket to his wife who wanted to become the Mayor.
“If these rebel leaders succeed in their attempts, the TDP is bound to loose the majority wards in Vijayawada and the chances of Kesineni Swetha to become Mayor would be very bleak,” sources said.