Will Chandrababu Naidu’s strategy of coming down hard on those who backstabbed the party in the recent local body elections boomeranging? Are those who actually helped the YSRCP win the local body elections with handsome majorities trying to defame Chandrababu Naidu?

The TDP, which has dominated Nellore politics for decades, drew a blank in the recent municipal corporation elections It could not put up candidates in some wards, while the candidates put up by the party backed off at the last moment in some others. In yet other constituencies, the candidates did not even campaign. The party could put up a serious fight in only a handful of seats and even there, it was routed.

Senior leaders like Atchen Naidu, NImmakayala Chinna Rajappa, BC Janardhan and Nakka Anandababu, who camped in Nellore to supervise the party campaign were shocked at the back-stabbing by several leaders. They reportedly complained to Chandrababu Naidu about the behaviour of the party candidates and local leaders. N angry Chandrababu had suspended three leaders for backstabbing the party.

But it is now emerging that these suspended leaders are going home telling how arbitrary their suspension was. Their anti-Chandrababu tirade is proving counterproductive for both Chandrababu and the party. They are trying to tell the party workers that they were made scapegoats while the real culprits went scot-free. This is proving to be something of a headache for the party boss. He can neither backtrack the decision nor suspend anymore leaders.