ANANTAPUR: With the elections around the corner, aspirants of both the ruling YSRC and the Opposition TDP are worried about the allotment of party tickets in the erstwhile undivided Anantapur district.
As there are reports of possible changes in the allotment of seats for sitting MLAs and constituency in charge at some places, YSRC leaders have started devising their strategies to be in the good books of the party leadership to get tickets. The TDP seems to be planning to allot seats based on the strategy of YSRC in the district.
The number of aspirants from both parties has been steadily increasing. The ruling and the opposition parties have emphasized winning the confidence of BCs, who constitute a majority of the population in the district to win the maximum number of Assembly seats.
Before the announcement of the TDP-JSP alliance, several aspirants from the opposition party, who prepared their ground well in advance, are now in a fix.
Speculation is rife that the YSRC is likely to allot Tadipatri, Uravakonda, Rayadurgam, Kalyanadurgam, Penukonda and Raptadu seats to BCs and Kadiri to minorities. Anantapur is likely to go to a BC or a minority leader.
“We will get clarity on the issuance of tickets by the end of January. The party leadership is considering various factors for the allotment of tickets. The YSRC has been giving priority to BC, SC, ST and minority communities as part of its social empowerment initiative. There is no doubt that the YSRC is set to make a clean sweep again in the ensuing elections,” asserted M Sankar Narayana, YSRC president of Sri Sathya Sai district.
When it comes to the TDP, the opposition party is likely to allot the Raptadu seat to Prof Rajesh, a close associate of TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh, who hails from the BC community.
Meanwhile, sitting MLAs and constituency in-charges of the opposition party seem to be not ready to sacrifice their seats as part of the TDP-JSP alliance. It is learnt that new aspirants from both parties are hopeful of getting tickets based on the reports that the leadership of ruling and opposition parties are planning to field new faces as part of the strategy to overcome anti-incumbency.
“The TDP is giving priority to BC, SC, ST and minority communities in allotment of party tickets and other party posts. The TDP is set to achieve a landslide victory in the State in the ensuing elections as the vexed people are determined to teach a fitting lesson to the YSRC,” averred BK Parthasarathy, TDP president of Sri Sathya Sai district.