VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, known for keeping his cards to his chest till the last minute, seems to have changed his strategy.
Though the Assembly elections are over six months away, the TDP supremo has already started the process of selecting party candidates for the next polls.
After commencing the exercise recently, Naidu is going to hold a series of constituency-wise meetings with party leaders to choose the candidates after returning from the US, party sources said.
First of all, he is concentrating on picking up suitable candidates for those constituencies being represented by Opposition parties.
Though the party has in-charges all constituencies, the TDP chief is planning to replace them with fresh faces who, he believes, can emerge winners in the 2019 polls.
Recently, the TDP chief has named former minister Kondru Murali Mohan as in-charge of Rajam constituency in Srikakulam district, replacing TDP politburo member K Prathibha Bharathi.
He also announced party in-charges for Chandragiri and Punganur constituencies in his native district of Chittoor.
He will continue the exercise in Rayalaseema and other districts after returning from the US.
Though a majority of the party leaders in the TDP are of the opinion that those leaders being appointed as constituency in-charges will be given tickets, some argue that these new appointments are only for coordinating party programmes at constituency level.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior TDP leader said that after completing the selection of in-charges for those constituencies being represented by opposition parties, Naidu will hold talks with the leaders of TDP constituencies.
Indicating possibility of denying tickets to several sitting MLAs, sources in the yellow party said that the Chief Minister is collecting information from various sources on the performance of party MLAs.
“The Chief Minister has cautioned erratic party MLAs several occasions and hinted at denying tickets to them if there is no change in their attitude. In such constituencies, the party has already begun the exercise of picking up right candidates,’’ the leader said.