Chasm over selection of candidate for the MLC election from the Teachers’ Constituency of East and West Godavari districts stares at the ruling TDP in the face. It became widen during the recent visit of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to West Godavari district for a padayatra when the party official nominee K. Chaitanya Raju reportedly raised the issue of alleged non-cooperation by a section of party workers at an in camera session. Mr. Raju, who is running a chain of corporate colleges, got elected to the MLC from the teachers constituency with the Congress support last time.
He defected to the TDP in the run up to the current MLC election and lobbied for the ruling party’s support for his re-election.
Parchuri Krishna Rao, another giant of corporate colleges in Kakinada and a traditional loyalist of the TDP, took a plunge into the election as an independent candidate after he lost out on the race within the party.
He incidentally aspired for the TDP ticket for Peddapuram Assembly segment in East Godavari district in Assembly polls but all his efforts went in vain as the party high command’s preference went in favour of Mr. Nimmakayala Chinnarajappa, now the Home Minister.
Caste plays predominant role in any election in the Godavari region. Mr. Raju belongs to Kshatriya community and Mr. Krishna Rao Kamma community.
Mr. Chaitanya Raju was alleged to have complained to the Chief Minister that a section of MLAs hailing from Kamma community in West Godavari district were extending tacit support to Krishna Rao. The Progressive Democratic Front, a group of like-minded teacher organisations fielded Ramu Surya Rao, a retired principal of a private college from Kapu community.
Given the bitter caste rivalry between Kapus and Settibalijas in the district, it appears unlikely for Mr. Surya Rao to gain support from the UTF, a major constituent of the PDF, dominated by Settibalijas in the district. The MLC election has become murky for the last two terms with the giants of corporate colleges in the fray allegedly offering expensive freebies to teachers such as silver glasses, sarees and denier sets besides cash ranging up to Rs 10,000 per vote. With the candidates hitting the ground running, the election fever grips the Godavari districts much before the Election Commission’s notification for the election which is expected to take place in the last week of February. A little over 20,000 voters will exercise their franchise from the two districts.
