It may sound strange, but it appears to be a growing reality. The so-called high commands of political parties are increasingly hesitant to take disciplinary action against leaders who openly violate the party line.
In the past, switching from one political party to another was considered embarrassing and carried a certain political stigma.
Leaders therefore tended to remain within the discipline of their parties. These days, however, almost all major political parties are facing this problem.
When Telangana minister Konda Surekha made objectionable remarks about actors Nagarjuna and Samantha in the past, there was widespread expectation that the Congress leadership would initiate disciplinary action against her or at least remove her from the Cabinet.
However, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy did not make any major comment on the issue. The remarks made by Surekha about a fellow woman were considered particularly objectionable, yet neither the State Congress leadership nor the party high command in Delhi took any action.
A similar situation has emerged in Andhra Pradesh with Tiruvuru MLA Kolikapudi Srinivasa Rao.
The Telugu Desam Party leadership appears to have selected him either because of his aggressive television appearances or his support for the Amaravati farmers’ agitation, despite his limited familiarity with the Tiruvuru constituency.
Srinivasa Rao has allegedly been running a parallel power structure in the constituency and has had strained relations with the local MP and leaders who have worked for the TDP for several decades.
He has also frequently made allegations against them, at times more aggressively than even YSRCP leaders.
While Surekha is an established political figure with a strong presence in her constituency, Kolikapudi rose to power largely under the TDP banner.
After reportedly reprimanding him on two or three occasions, the party leadership appears to have decided to tolerate him for the remainder of his five-year term.
Even allegations of sexual harassment made against him by a woman did not result in decisive party action.
The controversy involving Jana Sena MLA Arava Sreedhar has also embarrassed the party. Yet party president and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has not taken any action against him.
The fundamental problem is that political parties are reluctant to expel legislators because many of them can immediately move to a rival party. This applies to the TDP despite its numerical strength in Andhra Pradesh and to the Congress despite its slender majority in Telangana.
As long as opposition parties focus primarily on attacking the ruling party rather than consistently fighting on public issues, leaders such as Konda Surekha and Kolikapudi Srinivasa Rao are likely to continue creating problems for the parties that brought them to power.
