TDP loses its minorities’ mascot, Vizag head to join YSRCP

Visakhapatnam: In a major New Year eve jolt to Telugu Desam Party (TDP), its Urban Unit President in Vizag Dr SA Rehman announced his resignation from the primary membership and welcomed Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s proposal to bring secretariat to the Port City.

A prominent leader of minorities, Dr Rehman gave enough indications that he would be joining the ruling YSR Congress Party in the presence of Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday.

A majority of TDP leaders, including Vizag North MLA, Ganta Srinivasa Rao and few others welcomed the shifting of the capital from Amaravati to Vizag in spite of the strong opposition by party Chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

Dr Rehman, who went into oblivion, came to the political centre-stage just ahead of the Assembly elections and vehemently objected to the nomination of Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar from Vizag South constituency. Fearing damage to the party prospects, Naidu immediately made Rehman the urban unit president.

Apparently not happy with the TDP’s affairs, Rehman was waiting for an opportunity to strike at Naidu and others. The NRC and CAA protests came in handy for him as did the three capitals proposals that projected Visakhapatnam as the State’s Executive capital.

Coming down heavily against Naidu for not announcing his clear stance on CAA and NRC, Rehman said that the party leader failed to oppose the NRC and CCA as he feared Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. He pointed out that, in contrast, Jagan had openly opposed the NRC and CAA, which were hurting the sentiments of one religion.

Explaining the sorry state-of-affairs of the party, Rehman said that Nara Lokesh’s entry had distanced the senior leaders from the leadership and there was general resentment among the seniors. Only few leaders close to Naidu’s family benefitted, he added.