TDP circles wondered when probably for the first time two ministers of Chandrababu Naidu cabinet Ch Ayyanna Patrudu and Ganta Srinivasa Rao, known as arch political rivals, coming out of Naidu’s house with smiles, each holding other’s shoulder.

At a review meeting with Visakhapatnam TDP leaders held last week, it was learnt that Chief Minister warned both of them stating that their rivalry causing immense harm to the party in the district. He also made it clear that if they don’t mend their ways, he will be forced to take hard decisions, indicating forthcoming cabinet reshuffle.

Everyone in the party knows that it will be a different matter to speculate on the longevity of the peace mission initiated by Naidu. The gap has widened to the extremes between them and recently reached peak during Visakha Utsav. Ayyanna Patrudu boycotted the festival in spite of Chief Minister’s orders and called the Utsav a farce and waste of money. Local three party MLAs, who are his close aides also boycotted the Utsav.

The Utsav has turned to be a flash point in the strained relations between the two ministers. Chandrababu Naidu himself intervened and warned both the ministers several times in the past to patch up since it was causing a vertical division in the party.

Meanwhile, TDP circles says that except expressing some facial emotions, Chief Minister hardly in a position to hit against Ganta Srinivasa Rao, as the minister has proved himself to be highly resourceful by helping several MLAs in the north Andhra districts to win in the polls.

Though Chief Minister said to be close to Chief Minister, his arch rival Ayyanna Patrudu is enjoying support of Nara Lokesh and Nandamuri Balakrishna. Diverse loyalties with Chief Minister’s family only seems to be complicating group rivalries in Visakhapatnam TDP.