'Local factor' worries Praja Rajyam party leadership

Kakinada, Oct 29 (UNI) Though Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party (PPP) is yet to complete its exercise on membership drive and organisational elections, it is already riddled with internal squabbles with party cadres raising the bogey of' locals and non-locals', protesting against the domination of some people in the party, whom they consider outsiders.

The 'local sentiment' has appeared in the Assembly segment-wise review of the party situation, conducted by the seven-member Coordination Committee of the party's central office last week.

''The local factor was wantonly raised to eliminate those considered to be strong contenders for the party ticket. It is not justified,'' one senior politician, who switched over his loyalty from the TDP to actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi, told UNI here today.

He said such tendencies would discouarge the people, who joined the Praja Rajyam Party with much enthusiasm and aspirations.

It was high time that the party leadership acted firmly and nip such tendencies in the bud itself for the overall interest of the party, he added.

At least in three Assembly constituencies, the 'local and non-local factor' has dominated the deliberations, posing a problem to the committee members of the party.

The candidature of Thota Navin in Prattipadu Assembly constituency and that of Chalamalasetti Sunil in Kakinada Loksabha constituency are openly opposed by the party cadres on the ground they that are 'non-locals'.

Party senior member A V Naidu, who is a close associate of the megastar, openly opposed the candidature of Sunil, saying that he hailed from Krishna district and did not have any ground to claim his local credentials.

''How can anyone agree for Sunil's candidature. He is a non-local and still residing at Hyderabad, but visiting Kakinada off an on doing some contracts,'' Mr Naidu said, adding ''giving ticket to such people would hurt the locals feelings and damage the party's prospects'' He expressed his anguish over the dominance of non-locals in the party in East Godavari district.

UNI XR/BR KK AS2003