VIJAYAWADA: TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu is set to make a three-day visit of his Kuppam Assembly constituency from June 14. According to TDP sources, Naidu has set a target to win Kuppam with a majority of one lakh votes in the ensuing elections to counter the YSRC, which has laid emphasis on defeating the Opposition leader as part of its ‘Why not 175 Mission’
Naidu is expected to interact with the TDP rank and file in all the four mandals of the constituency during his visit. After the TDP debacle in the local body elections even in Kuppam, Naidu has laid special emphasis on it and started making visits to the constituency frequently as he won it seven consecutive times from 1989. “Naidu is keen on continuing his winning streak from Kuppam and leaving no stone unturned to emerge victorious with a huge majority in the next elections,” the sources said.
Apart from constituting a coordination committee under the leadership of Kancharla Srikanth, who won as an MLC from the East Rayalaseema Graduates Constituency in the recent elections, Naidu is taking every initiative to be in direct touch with the rank and file of his constituency and visiting it once in three to four months.The coordination committee is entrusted with the task of ensuring Naidu’s win with a majority of not less than one lakh votes, the party sources added.
With the win in both the local and urban body elections in Kuppam constituency, the confidence level of YSRC has increased and the leadership has started feeling that defeating Naidu in the 2024 elections is not at all a Herculean task. It has taken up a series of development programmes in the constituency to wrest Kuppam from the TDP.
“In the emerging political scenario, Naidu, who usually keeps himself busy with the party activities in both the Telugu States, is forced to allocate some time to his home constituency to keep his stranglehold on Kuppam,” a political analyst observed.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior TDP leader said, “We have no doubt on Naidu’s winning streak from Kuppam constituency. But we want to ensure that the TDP chief wins from Kuppam with a huge majority for the eighth consecutive time. Hence, we are leaving no stone unturned. The frequent visits of Naidu to Kuppam will help boost the morale of the party rank and file.”