Starting from Monday, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu is on a three-day tour of Kadapa district, the home turf of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The meet assumes significance as this is Chandrababu's first tour of the district after the severest drubbing his party received in the 2019 assembly elections.
For the first time since the founding of the TDP, the party does not have even a single MLA from the district. Even during the YSR hurricane in 2004 and 2009 the party had a minimum of two MLAs. In 2014, it could win one seat. But, this time around all the candidates bit the dust and the party drew a zilch smarting under a Jagan tsunami.
To add to the woes of the party, at least two key leaders of the party have left it to join the BJP. Vote catcher and highly influential Adinarayana Reddy has joined the BJP. TDP's moneybag and Chandrababu's alter ego CM Ramesh too has joined the BJP. To add to the woes, MLCs BTech Ravi and Sivanath Reddy are keeping away from the party activities of late. Similarly, senior leaders like Palakondrayudu, Prasad Babu and former minister Ramasubba Reddy are also deeply unhappy. This has considerably weakened the party. There is deep discontent within the party over giving primacy to turncoats and defectors, who led to party's defeat at the hustings. They want the young cadre to be given a push.
The party still has a membership of 3.50 lakh in the district and the local cadre want Chandrababu Naidu to focus on the local body elections. The district has 50 ZPTC seats, 50 MPPs and 790 panchayats. They want Chandrababu to focus on these elections on a high priority basis.
For the first time since the founding of the TDP, the party does not have even a single MLA from the district. Even during the YSR hurricane in 2004 and 2009 the party had a minimum of two MLAs. In 2014, it could win one seat. But, this time around all the candidates bit the dust and the party drew a zilch smarting under a Jagan tsunami.
To add to the woes of the party, at least two key leaders of the party have left it to join the BJP. Vote catcher and highly influential Adinarayana Reddy has joined the BJP. TDP's moneybag and Chandrababu's alter ego CM Ramesh too has joined the BJP. To add to the woes, MLCs BTech Ravi and Sivanath Reddy are keeping away from the party activities of late. Similarly, senior leaders like Palakondrayudu, Prasad Babu and former minister Ramasubba Reddy are also deeply unhappy. This has considerably weakened the party. There is deep discontent within the party over giving primacy to turncoats and defectors, who led to party's defeat at the hustings. They want the young cadre to be given a push.
The party still has a membership of 3.50 lakh in the district and the local cadre want Chandrababu Naidu to focus on the local body elections. The district has 50 ZPTC seats, 50 MPPs and 790 panchayats. They want Chandrababu to focus on these elections on a high priority basis.