Cabinet rejig triggers unprecedented dissidence in TDP

It is probably for the first time in Telugu Desam Party’s history that a cabinet reshuffle, which Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu did on April 2, had witnessed so much of  dissidence. It also sent out a message that the MLAs would not be satisfied with crumbs of political kindness thrown at them by the leader. To put it harshly, they want their pound of flesh. A berth in the cabinet is the price they quote for their loyalty to the TDP leadership.

Naidu might have thought that he had put in place a creme de la creme cabinet, but those who had been left out are still hitting the roof. Each one has a genuine reason, but on one point a majority of MLAs seem to be differing with Naidu is the decision to induct YSRC MLAs into the cabinet.

Immediately after the cabinet reconstitution, the tide of dissidence that rose had taken everyone by surprise. As there would be no more cabinet reshuffles before the next Assembly elections, the hopefuls in the TDP had great expectations.

Though it is difficult for Naidu to accommodate all of them in his cabinet, he apparently had not bargained for the kind of ‘indiscipline’ that came to the fore in the TDP that is a byword for discipline.

The conflagration may have died down now, but embers are still smouldering despite Naidu reading the riot act to the recalcitrant mules in his party. If one took a closer look, most of the strident criticism of the party came from the districts where Naidu took non-TDP MLAs into the cabinet. 

In West Godavari, Pithani Satyanarayana, though he was elected on TDP ticket, was a Congressman till 2014. This apart, he is always daggers drawn with powerful Denduluru MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar. The controversial legislator, who expected a cabinet berth, could not stomach a man who came into the TDP from the Congress on the eve of last elections, making the cut. No amount of persuasion to keep him quiet has worked and though it is not clear what his next move would be, he and his legions, for sure, may not be the same, Naidu-fearing activists anymore.

Then only yesterday, chairs flew in all directions at the venue of a meeting in Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district where Rajya Sabha member CM Ramesh was attending. Unleashing a torrent of invectives, the followers of TDP leader P Ramasubba Reddy used the chairs as missiles to attack Ramesh

His gunmen came to his rescue and took him into a secluded room as Ramasubba Reddy’s supporters kept shouting at him that it was he who was instrumental in getting a berth for YSRC defector Ch Adinarayana Reddy, with whom Ramasubba Reddy does not see eye to eye. Ironically, the meeting was organised to make the followers of Ramasubba Reddy and those of Adinarayana Reddy bury the hatchet. 

There are TDP loyalists who are wondering whether decades of waiting is not considered long enough to be taken into the cabinet. A senior leader from Rajahmundry G Butchaiah Chowdary felt very hurt and expressed his opinion openly against the party supremo, making one wonder how one, who was a die-hard follower of Naidu, could spew so much of verbal venom on him. 

In Guntur district, Dhulipala Narendra, who has been MLA five times, regretted why his caste should come in his way of becoming a minister, though he had served the party selflessly through its thick and thin. He even broke down for being left out from Naidu’s team.

Similar was the reaction of Gouthu Shyam Sundar Shivaji in Srikakulam district, who cried while speaking to mediapersons on why Naidu should forget him at the time of his cabinet reconstitution. 

MLC Payyavula Keshav was one leader from Rayalaseema who was a stout defender of TDP in the Assembly when late YS Rajasekhara Reddy was in power, but Naidu ignored him too, leaving him disillusioned and distraught. 

Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy who was the first to send his resignation letter to the Assembly Speaker after he was dropped from the cabinet remains irreconcilable. Naidu’s emissaries could not cut any ice with him when they tried to make him see reasons in his elimination. 

Naidu, while interacting with MLAs after the cabinet reshuffle, is learnt to have told them to understand that Chanakya Neeti (principles of statecraft enunciated by Chanakya during the age of Chandragupta Maurya) warranted him to weaken YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, by taking the YSRC MLAs into the TDP, so that when he faces next election, it would become easy for him to retain power.

But these are not the days of Mauryan kingdom and Naidu should realise that encouraging defections is violation of anti-defection law. People would appreciate if he asks the turncoats to seek re-election and romp home in flying colours. This way, he could prevent the party from spinning out of control and at the same time halt the image of the party from taking a downward spiral.