Atchannaidu To Be AP TDP New Chief?

Post electoral debacle in 2019, Telugu Desam Party is contemplating revamp of its leadership. Party chief Chandrababu Naidu is mulling over making organisational changes. The latest we hear is that some crucial changes in party’s state leadership is likely.

TDP’s national president Chandrababu Naidu is considering appointing a new state president to the AP wing of the party. As Kala Venkatrao was appointed five years ago in 2015, Naidu wants to appoint a new president to the state wing. Buzz is that Tekkali MLA and TDLP Deputy Leader Kinjarapu Atchannaidu is the front-runner for the post. Naidu is said to be keen on handing over the party’s responsibilities with Atchannaidu. Naidu’s meeting with Atchannaidu has added fuel to these speculations. Since Atchannaidu is from the BC community, Naidu wants him to be at the helm of affairs. Already, SC, ST and Reddy communities are sailing with YSRCP whereas Janasena is positioning itself as champion for Kapu community.

Given this background, Naidu wants to woo the BC community and turn them towards the party. He is of the opinion that there is a dissent among the BC community over Jagan’s government. The arrest of Atchannaidu in relation to the ESI scam by YS Jagan administration was also positioned as a target of a BC leader.

Also, Naidu wants to send strong signals to party leaders that the party is with Atchannaidu and it would stand by any other leader who was targeted by the ruling party. Naidu is of the opinion that this would give more confidence to leaders and party workers in this hour of crisis.

The sitting president Kala Venkatrao is from the Kapu community. Naidu had appointed Kala Venkatrao in order to put a check to Pawan Kalyan who was then distancing himself from TDP. With the change in political equations in the state and caste equations, Naidu wants to make Atchannaidu the new president of TDP’s AP unit. Atchannaidu is said to have given his consent. Let’s wait and see how it would turn the fate of the TDP in the state.