Rampant groupism in Kurnool district rattles Chandrababu

TDP boss Chandrababu Naidu is said to be focusing on improving the party’s position in the all-important Kurnool district. He is said to have begun consultations with various groups within the party in the Kurnool district. If the reports reaching us serve us right, then he is said to be focusing on Adoni, Aluru, Dhone, Kodumuru, Allagadda and Mantralayam.

In all these constituencies, there is intense groupism within the party. In Mantralayam, ever since Balanagireddy defected to the YSRCP in 2014, the party does not have a credible candidate. Similarly, in Aluru, the party has been successively losing the election due to the rampant infighting. In fact, even during the recent yatra of Lokesh, rival groups led by Veerabhadra Goud and Mallikarjuna Chowdary have clashed and did not attend Lokesh Babu’s programmes.

In Dhone, the party is cleaved vertically into pro and anti- Kotla Sujathamma groups. While Kotla Sujathamma is all set to contest from Dhone in the 2024 elections, a strong section has threatened not to support her. These two groups are not even on talking terms. A similar situation exists in Kodumuru constituency.

In Adoni, the party is divided between Meenakshi Naidu and Gudise Krishnamma groups. Nandyal is the most problematic of all the seats for Chandrababu Naidu. The party workers belonging to rival groups of Bhuma and AV Subba Reddy groups have fought pitched battles and have even physically harmed those belonging to the rival group. Chandrababu is now said to be focusing on addressing these groups in the district. It remains to be seen if he would be successful or not.