Former minister prevents Ongole fight in TDP

The old feud between Karanam Balaram and Gottipati groups resurfaced at the ruling TDP's mini-Mahanadu in Ongole on Saturday. But before things could get out of hand, good sense prevailed between the groups. The police also intervened. At the mini-Mahanadu, the Karanam group and the Gottipati Ravi group tried to show their respective strength. The rub was the Karanam men's bid to show their loyalty to the TDP from the start, while Gottipati Ravi joined the TDP from the YCP in the recent spate of MLAs' defections. Former minister Butchaiah Chaudary, who was present on the spot, tried to intervene to prevent the groups from moving at each other. Karanam Balaram was enraged and said as much to Butchaiah, `It is because of you that Ravi had joined the TDP'. He said it in a loud voice. This was the trigger for Karanam's men to try to browbeat Butchaiah. But good sense prevailed and the police intervened.