One senior leader, who is a veteran of many battles, is now all set to walk into sunset. He is staring at an uncertain future. His political heirs are unable to make a mark. They are now said to be planning to shift the constituency. The leader in question is TDP biggie Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.
Yanamala joined the TDP as a young lawyer and fought from Tuni. Starting from 1983, he had won continuously for six times. In 2009, he tasted defeat for the first ever time and since then he has shifted to the council. He then made his brother Yanamala Krishnudu the candidate from Tuni. However, Krishnudu has always been a controversial personality. He has made more enemies in the constituency and has lost twice in a row.
Now, the senior Yanamala is staring at retirement. With TDP fortunes on the downswing from 2019, he is losing his support base in Tuni. Now, the family is said to be thinking of shifting to neighbouring Prattipadu constituency. Yadavas, the community to which Yanamala belongs, are present in significant numbers in both Rowthulapudi and Sankhavaram mandals of the constituency. So, the Yanamala family feels that it has a better future in Prathipadu.
But the big question before the TDP is who after Yanamala in Tuni. Since 1983, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has been the face of the TDP. No alternative leadership was allowed to emerge. As a result, the moment Yanamala leaves the constituency the TDP is likely to become both leaderless and rudderless. The party does not even have a candidate worth the name. Thus it would be a double whammy, warn the party thinking heads. But, Yanamala seems determined to shift to Prathipadu and make his brother the party candidate.
