The bickerings in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s East Godavari district unit came to the fore on Sunday with a section of the party activists resorting to stone pelting on the district office, besides making an attempt to ransack the furniture. Selection of candidates for the election to the Kakinada Municipal Corporation triggered the row between the warring groups. Polling is scheduled for August 29.
Of the 48 divisions, the BJP got nine seats as its share following an agreement with the Telugu Desam Party. Of the nine, eight were reportedly allocated to candidates from the Kapu caste with priority not being given to the BCs even in the divisions where their votes were the deciding factor.
The party workers from the BC cell headed by its city president K. Ganga Raju tried to raise the issue before the district unit. Since the leaders did not give him an appointment, the workers resorted to stone pelting. BJP district unit president Y. Malakondaiah held discussions with the activists.
He told them that Endowments Minister Pydikondala Manikyala Rao would visit the party office on Monday and urged the BC Cell leaders to meet him.
Meanwhile, the TDP announced its candidates for 34 of the 39 divisions. Leaders of all the political parties were trying to convince the rebels to opt out.