Many leaders lost relevance after 2014 elections- some became irrelevant following their defeat while some following their defection. Popular as JC brothers, JC Divakar Reddy and JC Prabhakar Reddy, are not taken seriously in Telugu Desam party. Both switched over to TDP from Congress before the 2014 election. While Divakar Reddy won Anantapuramu Lok Sabha constituency, his brother Prabhakar Reddy Tadpatri Assembly segment. Their grip in local politics is pincer like. It is difficult to wrest the two seats from them, at least for the time being. For the first time, the brothers, find themselves powerless, despite being in a party that is in power. Diwakar Reddy used to say before elections that TDP would win 12 seats in district. It did. But, his contribution to victory is not credited to his account. One thing is true, the dusty town Tadapatri changed a lot during their heydays.
Naidu is also maintaining long distance from them. They also know what they are in TDP. Elder JC is not at all a visitor to NTR Trust Bhavan.
In Delhi, where any language other than Hindi is considered barbaric, Divakar Reddy doesn’t matter much. In TDP, unless you have the open endorsement of Big Boss, you are unwelcome in the corridors power. So, cynical has the Anantapuramu MP grown these days, he remarked, “MPs are being used as curry leaves. MPs, MLAs are sheer waste in this country. We don’t need any democracy. Who matters in Andhra politics in Delhi and Hyderabad? Prime Minister there, and chief minister here,” elder JC lamented some time back. They both are known for their off-beat and sensational comments. While elder JC spares none in his attacks including Modi and Governor.
Younger JC is always seen seething with anger. This time the target is Rahul Gandhi. Talking to media in his home town Tadpatri Monday, the angry MLA demanded that Rahul should first distribute ex-gratia to the families of farmers who committed suicide during Congress regime. “About 600 farmers committed suicide during the recent Congress rule in the district. Congress vice president should first console these families rather than harping on the suicides happened during TDP rule in the past one year,” he said.
Rahul is visiting Anantapuramu district to console the bereaved families tomorrow.
Prabhakar Reddy warned that, “We, along with family members of farmers who died, will stop Rahul Gandhi’s visit in 300 vehicles if he doesn’t first visit the families of those farmers who died when Congress was in power.”
Prabhakar Reddy is forgetting that during 10 year-rule of Congress, his brother was minister for some time and MLA for whole period.