NELLORE: A direct fight between the ruling TDP and Opposition YSRC Congress party is on the cards in Nellore Lok Sabha constituency even as candidates of other parties such as CPM-Jana Sena combine and the BJP are in the fray for the April 11 election. The YSRC has a slight edge over its opponent with the last-minute entry of senior leader Adala Prabhakar Reddy into its fold.
Prabhakar Reddy was named as the TDP candidate from Nellore Rural Assembly seat and an official announcement too was made by the ruling party. However, giving shock to the party leadership, Prabhakar Reddy, who had announced himself as the candidate for more than six months before the election, suddenly shifted to the YSRC. Prabhakar Reddy reportedly aspired for the Lok Sabha seat, but as the party decided to field him from Nellore Rural Assembly constituency, he quit the party.
Prabhakar Reddy had made groundwork in the seven constituencies of the segment (in fact, for the TDP) and he enjoys good support in many constituencies and also has the backing of the sitting YSRC MLAs.
The TDP played the BC card and fielded senior party leader and industrialist Beeda Masthan Rao where as majority of leaders in the district are from upper caste Reddy and Kapu communities. Masthan Rao had won from Kavali Assembly constituency in the 2009 elections and lost the seat in the 2014 elections to YSR Congress candidate Pratap Reddy.
TDP district president and MLC Beeda Ravichandra is the younger brother of Beeda Masthan Rao. In fact, Masthan Rao has worked at Kavali Assembly segment for some time, making ground for contesting from the seat again. The TDP has fielded some big names of Nellore politics for the Assembly polls — Minister Narayana from Nellore city, City Mayor Sk Abdul Aziz from Nellore rural constituency, Bollineni Krishnaiah from Atmakur constituency and Katamreddy Vishnuvardhan Reddy from Kavali constituency.
Bollineni Krishnaiah has strong cadre strength in Atmakur and in some parts of Udayagiri constituency. Abdul Aziz will fetch minority votes while Katamreddy Vishnuvardhan Reddy is a known leader among farming community in Alluru, Kavali rural and some parts of Kovur constituency. The TDP is banking on these leaders for winning the seats.
The other contestants in the fray for the LS seat are Jana Sena-Left parties alliance candidate Chandra Rajagopal (CPM) and S Suresh Reddy, State general secretary of the BJP. Former MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, who won thrice from the seat on Congress ticket in 2009, 2012 bye-election and 2014 election on YSRC ticket, is not contesting this time.Three out of the four candidates from major political parties are contesting the Lok Sabha polls for the first time. Except Prabhakar Reddy, no other candidate contested the Lok Sabha polls earlier.