Differences in Eluru YSRC to fore

VIJAYAWADA: The simmering differences between two groups within the ruling YSRC in G Kothapalli village of Dwaraka Tirumala mandal in Eluru district have come to the fore with the murder of the party’s village president Ganji Prasad. While the police are yet to ascertain those behind the murder, fingers are pointed towards the role of local MPTC member Bazaraiah, who had a bitter rivalry with Prasad, even before he was elected as the MPTC. 

Bazaraiah is allegedly backed by Gopalapuram MLA Talari Venkata Rao, who also belongs to the same caste, and this was the reason why the legislator was attacked by the followers of the deceased.According to YSRC leaders, Prasad was earlier in TDP and was a follower of Taneti Vanitha, Home Minister, who represented Gopalapuram constituency as an MLA when she was in TDP. Now, she is representing Kovvur Assembly constituency.

Prasad joined the YSRC in 2019 and since then he had differences with Bazaraiah. “The two leaders were not in good terms. There was no TDP in the village. The fight during the MPTC and sarpanch elections was between these two groups only,’’ this was admitted by Venkata Rao himself after the violent incident on Saturday.

Prasad put up his follower against Bazaraiah in the election to the MPTC post but the latter wrested the seat. “We tried to iron out the differences between the two leaders a couple of times,’’ Venkata Rao said, adding that he had even made an appeal to the two leaders publicly in a recent function to felicitate village volunteers. 

Prasad, sources said, had been lodging complaints against ‘irregularities’ in implementation of various government welfare schemes in the village which did not go well with the rival group. Added to this, his association with Home Minister Vanitha had caused a feeling of insecurity among the rivals, the party sources added. On the allegations that he was supporting Bazaraiah and indirectly involved in the murder, Venkata Rao said he had always respected Prasad, a senior leader, and had asked MPTC member Bazaraiah to maintain restraint. 

“Prasad recently underwent a heart surgery and I had called his family members to know his well-being. I even attended the marriage reception of his son,’’ Venkata Rao said and claimed that it was ‘outsiders’ instigated by Opposition, who were behind the attack on him.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that party senior leaders Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and YV Subba Reddy, who was the regional coordinator of undivided Godavari districts earlier, called on Venkata Rao and sought an explanation about the reasons that led to the murder of Prasad.

The incident, though at the village level, once again brought to the fore the differences in the rank and file of the ruling YSRC at a time when the leadership has to step in to pacify the leaders who were either dropped from the cabinet or failed to get a berth in the recent overhaul.