Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is contemplating appointing a Dalit as the president of the TDP, Andhra Pradesh unit, according to the party sources.
Till now, the party in Andhra was headed by Kala Venkat Rao, who has recently joined the state cabinet, while Naidu continues to be the national president of the party.
In Telangana, the party is headed by L Ramana, who belongs to Padmashali community, an OBC. So, Naidu is of the view that if the AP unit gets a Dalit as the president, it would balance the caste equations in both the Telugu states.
Party sources said Naidu initially wanted to replace Kala Venkat Rao, a Kapu, with another Kapu leader so as to douse the disgruntlement among the community.
He wanted to make Nimmakayala Chinna Rajappa as the party president, but he was not willing to forego his cabinet berth for the party post. Other Kapu leaders, too, were not keen on taking up the job.
It was then that Naidu had hit upon the idea of appointing an SC as the party president in AP.
Two names are doing rounds for this post: one is Varla Ramaiah, who is heading the State housing corporation and Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad, who was given the MLC seat as well as another corporation chairman post.
Naidu thinks it will not only bring good name to him and the TDP, but will also help rebut criticism from his own party leaders like Chittoor MP N Sivaprasad.
Let us see what will happen.
