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Rivals now in the same party: Friction rises between Soyam and Rathod
By: Tupaki Desk | 29 Jun 2021 10:50 AM IST
A war of sorts is brewing in Adilabad BJP these days. Adilabad is an SC reserved Lok Sabha seat and there is a traditional rivalry between the Gonds and Lambada tribals. Two traditional political rivals in the district â MP Soyam Bapu Rao and former MP Ramesh Rathod â represent Gond and Lambada tribes. Their biggest problem is that both are in the same party and are vying for the same pie.
Bapu Rao has joined the BJP ahead of 2019 elections and cultivated the Gond voters quite effectively to ride the Modi wave to win as an MP. Rathod contested as the Congress candidate against him and lost the election. Recently Rathod joined the BJP. Initially, Bapurao staunchly opposed his entry into the BJP. It was only after Rathod went over to Bapurao's house and met him that the latter relented. But, even after the joining, the distance between the two leaders continues to exist. While Ramesh Rathod is working to bring new people into the BJP, Bapurao is keeping a distance from these programme. Rathod is also organising 'well-wishers' meet in the Khanapur assembly segment, but Bapurao did not attend any of them.
Sources say that Bapu Rao is apprehensive that Rathod will emerge as a potential rival to him. At the same time Adilabad BJP president Payala Shankar and district incharge Aljapur Srinivas are attending Rathod's programme. It remains to be seen how the differences between the two leaders would be ironed out.
Bapu Rao has joined the BJP ahead of 2019 elections and cultivated the Gond voters quite effectively to ride the Modi wave to win as an MP. Rathod contested as the Congress candidate against him and lost the election. Recently Rathod joined the BJP. Initially, Bapurao staunchly opposed his entry into the BJP. It was only after Rathod went over to Bapurao's house and met him that the latter relented. But, even after the joining, the distance between the two leaders continues to exist. While Ramesh Rathod is working to bring new people into the BJP, Bapurao is keeping a distance from these programme. Rathod is also organising 'well-wishers' meet in the Khanapur assembly segment, but Bapurao did not attend any of them.
Sources say that Bapu Rao is apprehensive that Rathod will emerge as a potential rival to him. At the same time Adilabad BJP president Payala Shankar and district incharge Aljapur Srinivas are attending Rathod's programme. It remains to be seen how the differences between the two leaders would be ironed out.