Katari Anuradha: A turbulent life in politics - The Hindu
Anuradha won the byelection and soon rose to the status of a local leader in her own right with a number of followers. She could give a tough fight to the political rivals of her family.
The political life of Katari Anuradha, the slain mayor of the Chittoor Municipal Corporation, was fraught with difficulty right from her entry into politics.
She became the councillor of Ganganapalle ward of what was then the Chitoor Municipality in 2006 when a byelection was prompted in the ward as her husband Katari Mohan was disqualified on grounds that he had not attended meetings and violated the code of conduct. Mohan went underground after being accused of engineering an attempt on the life of C.K. Jayachandra Reddy, then an MLA (2004-2009).
Anuradha won the byelection and soon rose to the status of a local leader in her own right with a number of followers. Though sitting in the opposition, she could give a tough fight to the political rivals of her family. With her husband underground, she came under scrutiny by revenue and police officials during Congress rule (2004-2014). Anuradha's influence among the TDP cadres in the town grew.
In 2014, TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu declared Katari Anuradha as the mayoral candidate. Her popularity with the masses enabled the TDP to win 36 divisions out of the total of 50 (when Chittoor became a corporation).
Anuradha had a reputation as a leader who always made herself available to her constituents. She played a key role in tackling the perennial drinking water problem in the town.
Along with two other prominent women leaders in Chittoor -- Zilla Parishad chairperson Geervani (TDP) and Chittoor MLA D.A. Satyaprabha (TDP), Anuradha was in the limelight of politics of Chittoor in the last one and a half year.
Mr Katari Mohan is a senior TDP leader from Chittoor town, having been associated with the party for 25 years. Hailing from Ganganapalle ward, he became a councillor in the late 1990s. The Katari family’s enmity with C.K. Jayachandra Reddy alias C.K. Babu dates back 15 years when the latter supported their (Kataris') relative in the municipal elections.
In 2005, Mr Mohan was attacked by his rivals, allegedly supporters of Mr Babu, near the Kannan Junior College. Surviving the attack, Mr Mohan went underground. In 2006 and 2007, he was allegedly involved in the murder attempt on Mr Babu in Chittoor. In 2008, he came into the public light again, but was lodged in the Chittoor jail for a couple of years as an undertrial.
When he came out of jail, he was made the district TDP vice-president. Against this turbulent political backdrop, Mr Mohan campaigned extensively for the TDP in the 2014 elections (both assembly and mayoral) along with his wife. Ms Anuradha was made the mayor as the Chittoor Municipal Corporation was reserved for the BC women category.
Since June 2014, Mr Mohan kept guiding his wife on political and civic issues.
But Chittoor is also the hotbed for smuggling right?
Yes, red Sandalwood .
