YCP fire brand leader and tourism minister RK Roja is struggling hard to re-elect from her Nagiri constituency, as she is facing severe `music’ from her own party leaders, more than political opponents TDP cadre.
Her adamant attitude makes her unpopular among YCP supporters itself and her efforts to win from the constituency for the consecutive third term seems to be difficult. Long before polls, all senior YCP leaders from the constituency made it clear to the party high-command they will not support, if Roja is again given a party seat.
However, chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy ignored local protests and gave weight to her `loyalty’ towards his leadership. Party leaders in the constituency boldly told the leadership that they cannot face people during elections, in view of her corruption and other irregular acts.
Nagiri Assembly Constituency includes Puttur, Nagiri, Nindra, Vadamalapeta and Vijayapuram mandals. Minister Roja’s strained relations with YCP leaders in all mandals came on the way for the smooth poll campaign.
For the last five years they are all complaining against her and are non-cooperative with her. She also ignored them and didn’t make any efforts to pacify them.
They are alleging that after becoming minister she is moving in the air and ignoring ground-level realities. They are mostly accusing about the high-handed behaviour of her brothers, who are practically ruling the affairs in the constituency.
All these days, Minister Roja openly ignores their discontent stating that she doesn’t care who comes and supports her or not. But, she is expressing confidence that without the support of local party leaders she can again win from the constituency.
As the constituency is on the border of Tamil Nadu, her husband RK Selvamani’s Tamil nativiti, helped her to some extent in some villages.
However, she is now seen worrying as she is not getting expected support from the villagers, as key party leaders are absent from the campaign.
Though she is making last minute efforts to patch up her differences with local party leaders, that is not materializing. Rebel leaders are making it clear that her tricks and gimmicks will not work before them.
