Signalling serious trouble in the Telugu Desam Party, several Kapu leaders have conveniently avoided a meeting conducted by party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu at his Vundavalli residence on Wednesday.
The TDP chief, who returned from his Europe trip to Amaravati late on Tuesday night, called for a meeting of party leaders to discuss the latest developments in the party including defection of four Rajya Sabha members and the secret meeting held by Kapu leaders at Kakinada recently.
Though several senior leaders including Ganta Srinivasa Rao attended the meeting, others like former MLAs Bonda Uma, Jyothula Nehru, Thota Trimurthulu, Buragadda Veda Vyas and Panchakarla Ramesh Babu abstained from the meeting.
“We have no invitation for the meeting. Hence, we did not attend,” Jyothula Nehru said, while Bonda Uma said he was not even aware of the meeting.
On the other hand, Trimurthulu strongly supported the demolition of Praja Vedika hall adjacent to Naidu’s residence and wondered why the TDP leaders were making a hue and cry when the government was demolishing illegal constructions.
It clearly showed that the Kapu leaders are totally disgruntled at Naidu’s leadership and are looking for alternative political forum.
Last week, these Kapu leaders held a secret meeting at Kakinada under the auspices of former MLA Thota Trimurthulu to discuss their future of action, as they felt there is no future in the TDP. The meeting was held completely indoors.
Majority of the leaders who attended the meeting are learnt to have felt that there was no future for the TDP and it would be better to join the Bharatiya Janata Party to emerge as a potential alternative.