Hyderabad: Taking a serious view of internal squabbles, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on February 1 warned partymen against "groupism and infighting" saying they would prove detrimental to the interests of the party.

Naidu's stern message at a party meeting comes in the backdrop of reports of internal bickerings plaguing the party units in Kurnool, Visakhapatnam and Nellore districts.

"I am confident that we can win elections even if they are held tomorrow, but we need to check our internal problems. Otherwise, the party will get a bad name," Naidu said while addressing a day-long meeting of the party's extended executive.

Stating that party's image was taking a beating "because of ego problems of a handful of individual leaders", he exhorted party units to "sort out differences at their level" and also ensure that there was no corruption at any level.

Of late, the party leadership has been receiving reports of infighting from several district units. Perhaps in one of the rare instances, a minister, K E Prabhakar, was recently summoned to appear before the party's disciplinary committee to explain his action in airing the differences with his bete noire and Kurnool MLA T G Venkatesh.

The party supremo also referred to some "discordant notes" during the recently- conducted membership drive and advised the leaders to ensure that such incidents did not recur.

PTI