Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051216100300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Nalgonda

Naidu to camp in Suryapet

Staff Reporter

To prepare party functionaries for panchayat polls

NALGONDA: Amid reports of infighting among party leaders, Telugu Desam president Nara Chandrababu Naidu is camping in Suryapet for two days from Friday to prop up the party machinery for the panchayat elections.

He will address meetings of the coordination committee and the extended general body of the district unit and take stock of the party's position in all 12 Assembly constituencies.

He will also meet the leaders of the party frontal organisations.

Party district unit president Badugula Lingaiah Yadav said that Mr. Naidu would unveil a bronze statue of NTR at Suryapet. He said that the visit would galvanise party cadres for the panchayat elections.

NTR's statue

The party has been struggling to regain its past glory in the district but the inner party squabbling is proving costly for it. Allegedly due to lack of coordination among the leaders and also due to the alliance between the Congress and Left parties, the TDP could bag only one seat, Bhongir, in the last Assembly elections.

Former MP and present vice-president of the party, Gutta Sukhender Reddy had to bite the dust in Nalgonda.

Other leaders complain that Mr. Sukhender tries to dominate the party's district politics.