Brother leads rebels against Andhra's Naidu

Dissidence in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) came to the fore on Sunday when Nara Rammurthy Naidu, the politically unknown brother of TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, successfully organised a huge rally in Chittoor district, home of the Naidus.

The open defiance by Rammurthy Naidu, an ex-legislator, and a group of senior TDP politicians in Chandragiri barely 12 hours after Chandrababu Naidu sternly warned dissidents indulging in anti-party activities, is out of the ordinary.

Chief Minister Naidu has been able to deal blows to family political rivals like Lakshmi Parvati, wife of former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao, N.T. Harikrishna, NTR's son, and an outsider Mohan Babu. All became non-entities afterwards.

The TDP president ordered supporters on Saturday night at the party's headquarters to keep away from his brother and went to the extent of disowning him, declaring he had nothing to do with the TDP. The state government also denied the rebel accommodation in its guest house on Sunday.

The TDP's newest dissident was elected in 1994 but lost while Naidu successfully led the TDP in the 1999 elections, thrashing the Congress party. Charges of corruption were later levelled at him and Naidu banished him from politics.

Political analysts say dissident groups keeping low may have found a willing front man in Rammurthy Naidu and used the rally to show their strength.

Rebel TDP politicians received Rammurthy Naidu with a 300-vehicle convoy on his arrival from Chennai, shouted slogans and publicly reaffirmed faith in him. Their open display of defiance immediately put pressure on the TDP to act against the rebels.

This is the first time that an open revolt against the TDP by a Naidu family member is being orchestrated after the August 1995 revolt when Naidu – then a mere legislator – dethroned his father-in-law and the TDP founding president, N.T. Rama Rao.

Analysts say Rammurthy Naidu and his supporters may have wanted to assert themselves in the TDP by their revolt and also be seen as acting on a popular grievance that Naidu is a "democratic dictator" who crushes opponents with leadership qualities.

Naidu had distanced himself from Rammurthy Naidu after his defeat in the Chandragiri constituency, the same way he ignored his brothers-in-law Harikrishna and Daggubati Venkateswara Rao who dominated TDP politics before the August 1995 coup.

"I have been away from the TDP for the last three years as I was abroad. But I am a committed worker and nobody can prevent me from serving my people. I do not care what the high command thinks of me," Rammurthy Naidu told his supporters on Sunday, denying he was sent into exile by Naidu.

On Sunday, he also addressed journalists at the Kanipakam temple and was officially welcomed by the temple's executive officer.

Politicians like Chittoor municipal chief T. Chengalraya Naidu, Chittoor Cooperative Sugars chairman N.P. Ramakrishna, former municipal chief A.S. Manohar and district TDP publicity secretary V. Surendra Kumar met him in open defiance.

He also claimed he sent a requisition to Naidu offering his candidature for the Kanipakam temple trust board chairmanship. "My request is pending. The CM must have his own reasons for keeping the proposal in abeyance," he said.

In an unrelated incident, eight TDP and Congress party supporters were injured when both sides threw home-made bombs at each other at Konduru village in Mahbubnagar last night.

Police said the Congress party supporters went to the village and threw the bombs first and the TDP retaliated. Four people from each side were injured.