Naidu Losing Another Good Leader?

TDP spokesperson Panchumarti Anuradha, known for her vociferous attack against the ruling YCP, is grumpy for being neglected by the party leadership for the last several years. Anuradha, belonging to Vijayawada, has been with the party since 1990 and has even worked as Vijayawada city mayor.

Later, she distanced herself from the party and returned to active politics in 2014, after the bifurcation of the state.

Being a BC leader (of the Padmashali community) who vehemently fought against the authorities against injustice to the marginalised, she aspired for party ticket in 2019 elections and began putting in efforts in that direction from 2017 itself. She pinned hopes of securing the Mangalagiri MLA ticket in view of the high Padmashali community in the constituency. Understanding her aspirations, TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu offer her MLC seat but Panchumarti insisted for the MLA post.

With Naidu’s son Lokesh himself filing nomination as the TDP candidate from Mangalagiri, Panchumarti’s hopes were dashed. Disappointed with the development, she stayed away from the electioneering for 2019 elections. However, after being called by Naidu himself, Panchumarti began appearing before the media after the party’s humiliating defeat in that year’s general elections.

Recently, the TDP supremo made appointments for the Parliamentary constituencies and even at that time, Panchumarti felt neglected even when BCs were given prominence in that exercise. Anuradha was hurt that she was not given prominence despite promises made by the party leadership that it would do a lot for the BCs.

Frustrated over being neglected for a second time, Anuradha became dormant and stopped appearing before the media. Except for the mayor post given in 1990, Panchumarti had not been given any importance in the party and her family members are also sore about it.

In such a situation, party sources said that Chandrababu Naidu was planning to give her Mangalagiri MLA ticket for the 2024 elections. However, as three more years have to pass by for the general elections, political observers say many equations might change in the meantime and nothing can be assured. As Panchumarti too knows how volatile the situation can transform in political parties, it is significant to note that she is still a dissenter. In the wake of these circumstances, Naidu is likely to lose another leader if he does not do the needful.