It appears that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA from the Tiruvuru Assembly constituency in NTR district, Kolikapudi Srinivas Rao, continues to stir controversy with his abrasive behavior and actions, which have drawn criticism from within his own party leadership and cadre.
Kolikapudi has faced the ire of the party high command on multiple occasions for his contentious conduct.
Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu has issued stern warnings to him in the past. He has even appeared before the TDP disciplinary committee twice for alleged anti-party activities.
Despite these warnings, controversies continue to follow him.
In the latest instance, he has been accused of harassing an Assistant Executive Engineer, V. Kishore, from the Minor Irrigation Department in NTR district.
On Friday, Kishore went missing from his office after leaving behind a suicide note in which he accused Kolikapudi and senior officials of harassment.
He had also reportedly shared similar allegations in WhatsApp groups of Irrigation Department employees before his disappearance.
Kishore’s family grew alarmed after discovering bloodstains on the letter. He had recently vacated his rented house in Tiruvuru following a departmental transfer last month.
On the day he went missing, his uncle dropped him off at the office in the morning. Around 2:45 p.m., Kishore was seen leaving the office, and then he disappeared.
After finding the suicide note, officials from the Water Resources Department alerted the police.
The location of Kishore’s mobile phone was traced, and the last signal was detected around 3:15 p.m. near VM Banjara in Penuballi mandal, Khammam district, after which the phone was switched off.
In the note, Kishore held Executive Engineer Gangayya, Deputy Executive Engineer Umashankar, ENC B. Shyam Prasad, and Tiruvuru MLA Kolikapudi Srinivas Rao responsible for his situation.
He alleged that although he was transferred to the NSC O&M Gowravaram section as part of routine departmental transfers, these officials, in collusion with the MLA, used political pressure to block his relieving order.
Kishore, a Dalit employee, expressed that he was driven to the brink due to sustained mental harassment.
He appealed for justice and demanded strict action against Senior Assistant Durgaprasad and the MLA’s personal assistant, Bottu Srinivasa Rao.
The police have registered a case and are investigating the matter from all angles. A search operation is ongoing to locate Kishore.