It is not so easy even for the Telugu Desam Party leaders and cadre to understand the strategies of their party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
It is a different matter whether or not such strategies work out for the TDP, but he takes everybody by surprise with his sudden decisions.
The decision to admit former MP and senior leader Gangula Pratap Reddy into the TDP at a time when the by-elections to Nandyal assembly seat are just a week away created a flutter in the TDP camp.
It is an open secret that Gangula and Bhuma families are arch rivals in Allagadda area and several people lost their lives in the feuds between both the factions.
Though there have not been any faction feuds in the last few years, the rivalry between the two families existed and still continues even after Bhuma Nagi Reddy’s death.
The Bhuma family also had a traditional rivalry with Silpa family in Nandyal and therefore, when Bhuma Nagi Reddy and Akhila Priya joined the TDP, Silpa brothers – Mohan Reddy and Chakrapani Reddy were feeling inconvenient.
Though Naidu tried to bring about patch up between the two families, he did not succeed and finally, when Akhila started dominating Nandyal politics, Silpa brothers deserted the TDP one after the other to join the YSR Congress party.
As Akhila was breathing easy with the exit of Silpa brothers and trying to take over the party politics in Nandyal, the entry of Gangula came as a rude shock to her.
She was simply at her wits end as to why Naidu admitted her family’s arch rival into the TDP. Naturally, it will be a lot of inconvenience to her. However, she has no option but to remain silent now.
“We have a rivalry with Gangula family, but his entry into the TDP will not have any impact on me. I will continue to do my work and if any troubles arise, the party president will take care of them. After all, this is not a big issue compared to the loss of my parents,” Akhila said.
Sources say Naidu has realized that the TDP survival in Nandyal and Allagaddda cannot depend only on a youngster like Akhila Priya, whose style of functioning resulted in a lot of disturbances in the party. So, the party needs a senior like Gangula, who can take control of the party.
It is learnt Naidu promised to field Gangula as the Nandyal MP in the next Lok Sabha elections, since SPY Reddy has become a spent force because of his age.
