KHAMMAM, Feb 2: A major beneficiary of the Sonia factor in Andhra Pradesh thus far is former chief minister Nadendla Bhaskara Rao. From an uncertain political future, he not only managed to secure a Congress ticket for the Lok Sabha elections, but emerged as a potential threat to the CPM in its stronghold, Khammam.With the faction-ridden Congress in Khammam district rallying unitedly behind him, Nadendla has become a challenger to the CPM's sitting MP, Tammineni Veerabhadram. Though the BJP has fielded former Congress minister and Banjara leader D Ravindra Naik from here, the main contest is likely to be between the CPM and the Congress.
Known for its ideological consciousness, Khammam district was always a Left stronghold and the Khammam Lok Sabha constituency - comprising Khammam, Kothagudem, Palair, Madhira, Yellandu, Sujathnagar and Sattupalli assembly segments - a CPM bastion.
The Congress in the district was racked by factions led by Vengal Rao and former minister Seelam Sidda Reddy.
Realisingthe effects of factionalism, Nadendla quickly sought the blessings of both Vengal Rao and Sidda Reddy and succeeded in ensuring the presence of leaders from the two groups while filing his nomination papers. ``The unity among the Congress factions is a historic event,'' said district Congress committee president Sambani Chandrasekhar.
Yet, Nadendla is expected to face a tough opposition from the cadre-based CPM which has decided to make his past history - backstabbing NTR in 1984 - an election issue.
``He is such a notorious person that his name has become a synonym for backstabbhing and politics of manipulation. We are going to make his past an election issue,'' thundered CPM Rajya Sabha member Y Radhakrishna Murthy. The CPM has already brought out a booklet listing the achievements of Veerabhadram as MP in the last 18 months and is going to bring out another exclusively on the ``ignominous past'' of Nadendla.
Not lagging behind, Nadendla too is busy trying to clear his name. ``I may have backstabbedNTR, but the ones who killed him are Chandrababu Naidu and the CPM and CPI,'' is the refrain of his campaign speeches. Speaking to The Indian Express, he said: I am the most misunderstood person in the history of Andhra Pradesh.
Nadendla has nothing to offer to the Khammam voters, but the CPM is making as election issues its campaign for enforcement of minimum wages to agricultural labour and protection of Regulation 1/70, which ensures tribals' rights in scheduled areas.
Asked to spell out his stand on Regulation 1/70, Nadendla said, ``Our stand is the stand of late Puchalapalli Sundaraiah, who favoured status quo''. Surprisingly, the CPM's allies, CPI and Telugu Desam, are sailing with the Congress on the issue, adopting a soft line towards landlords and non-tribal farmers.
While Nadendla is hopeful of a division among the CPM, CPI and Telugu Desam votes, the CPM is confident that the so-called unity in the Congress camp would not last long.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
