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Complaint against Balayogi embarrasses TDP

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

Former minister Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary's allegation that Lok Sabha speaker and Telugu Desam Party MP G M C Balayogi had worked against the party in the recently-concluded state assembly and and Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh has deeply embarrassed the TDP.

Butchaiah Chowdary and his followers made the complaint before a three-member poll review committee constituted by TDP president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday.

The party leadership, however, has decided not to take cognisance of the complaint on the ground that Chowdary only made an oral submission and refused to put his complaint in writing.

Butchaiah Chowdary, a four-term legislator from Rajahmundry in East Godavari district, had complained that Balayogi and the then speaker of the legislative assembly (and present state finance minister) Yanamala Ramakrishnudu had extended their support to some candidates belonging to the BC Aikya Vedika in Rajahmundry assembly segment.

Though Chowdary retained the seat, defeating his nearest Congress rival Vundavalli Arun Kumar by a margin of 23,027 votes, a little known independent candidate, Bommana Ramachandra Rao, garnered 14,418 votes.

The party is also not inclined to take up another complaint against Major Industries Minister Kotagiri Vidyadhar Rao for similar reasons.

A former legislator from Kovvur, Pendyala Venkata Krishna Rao and West Godavari Zilla Parishad chairperson Immani Rajeshwari have lodged an oral complaint against Rao before the same panel.

Pendyala Venkata Krishna Rao lost in the recent polls.

Rao's induction into the Naidu cabinet was opposed openly by former minister and five-term legislator Kalidindi Ramachandra Raju, who had alleged that Rao had sabotaged his election by extending support to Anna-TDP candidate Mutyala Venkateswara Rao.

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