TDP infuses young blood into dist units

HYDERABAD, DEC 10: In a bid to do away with the dead wood in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), party President and Chief Minister N Chandraba...

HYDERABAD, DEC 10: In a bid to do away with the dead wood in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), party President and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is contemplating infusion of young blood into the organisation, by constituting ad hoc committees for mandal and district units on December 13.

Vexed with faction feuds and groupism among senior leaders, Naidu has decided to draft freshers into key posts, keeping in view the polls to the State Assembly next year. As per the schedule, the elected committees would stand abolished once the ad hoc panels are announced.

Presently, each mandal committee comprises of 13 members while the district units have 21 members. But, the ad hoc panels at mandal level will have seven members including a convener, while there will be 12 at the district level including a convener.

The Chief Minister, who had asked the district incharges to prepare lists for the ad hoc panels, held discussions with senior party leaders yesterday to finalise theorganisational revamp. The lists approved by him would be announced on December 13, a party leader told The Indian Express.

Though the process is yet to take a final shape, it is learnt that at least 50 per cent of the existing office-bearers would be dropped, paving the way for newcomers. “Loyalty to the party and the leader, clean image and efficiency would be the criteria for being nominated to ad hoc panels,” he explained.

At the same time, Naidu is keen on refurbishing the TDP’s image as pro-poor and pro-downtrodden party, in order to counter the campaign launched by the Congress leaders that he was biased towards the rich and big businesses while promoting the Information Technology (IT) industry.

“Our leader is interested in projecting more leaders from the SC/STs and backward classes and minorities at mandal and district level,” said a senior TDP leader. If the Congress gives importance to women, TDP too would not lag behind,” he said.

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Naidu, in his informal chat with seniorleaders, is understood to have expressed the view that the Congress victory in Madhya Pradesh was possible because of the party’s bold decision to project a large number of freshers in the elections.

Given the cantankerous record of some of the leaders, he is expected to use the opportunity to sack them from the party posts to serve the twin purposes of encouraging freshers, as well as putting an end to internal bickering. Already, 20 leaders have been suspended from the party for violating discipline.