KADAPA: While the ruling YSRC is determined to repeat a clean sweep by winning all the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in the erstwhile Kadapa district in the ensuing elections, the opposition TDP is leaving no stone unturned to bag the maximum number of seats. Kadapa is considered a bastion of YSRC since its inception. The party won nine of the 10 Assembly seats and two parliamentary seats in the 2014 general elections.
In the last elections, the YSRC made a clean sweep by winning all the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats. However, both the YSRC and TDP are facing problems of dissent and internal strife though the elections are only a year away. The rat race for getting party tickets for themselves or their family members or successors has begun. Both parties have started conducting their own surveys to select candidates for the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats considering several aspects, which determine the poll outcome.
The YSRC had achieved a landslide victory in the local body elections by bagging 95% of seats in the district. After the win of party candidate B Ramgopal Reddy of Pulivendula from Rayalaseema West graduate constituency, the TDP has got a morale boost and intensified its efforts to bag a maximum number of seats.
In fact, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu had organised review meetings with constituency incharges in the district. Senior TDP leaders, including former minister DL Ravindra Reddy, G Veerasiva Reddy and N Varadarajulu Reddy are expecting party tickets. The TDP aspirants have started evolving their own strategies to win the polls in 2024.
Deputy Chief Minister SB Amzath Basha, who won the elections in 2014 and 2019 from Kadapa, is hopeful of repeating the same in 2024. Md Ahmadullah, who won from Kadapa in the 2004 and 2009 elections and served as a minister, is also aspiring for the ticket. Former ZP chairman G Lakshmi Reddy’s relative Umadevi, Chaitanya Reddy, son of Putta Narasimha Reddy, Krishna Kishore and TDP Politburo member Srinivasulu Reddy’s wife are among the aspirants for the TDP ticket from Kadapa.
In Mydukur, two-time MLA S Raghurami Reddy is seeking an encore, but the talk is that the party is looking for a more strong candidate. Meanwhile, former TTD chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav, who lost twice, is eyeing the seat from TDP. Ravindra Reddy has already announced that he is going to contest on a TDP ticket from the segment.
In Proddatur, incumbent Rachamallu Siva Prasad Reddy is keen on winning the seat for the third time.
But he is said to be facing problems from MLC Ramesh Yadav. G Praveen Kumar Reddy, TDP in charge and former MLA M Lingareddy are among TDP hopefuls. N Varadarajulu, who won five times from the segment, is also expecting a ticket.
In Jammalamadugu, incumbent M Sudheer Reddy seems to be having differences with MLC P Ramasubba Reddy, leading to uncertainty in the segment. C Bhupesh Reddy, son of former MLC C Narayana Reddy, is also aspiring for the ticket. As regards to Pulinvedula, there is no suspense as it is represented by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. But the same cannot be said about Kamalapuram as retaining P Ravindranath Reddy looks doubtful. Putta Narasimha Reddy is getting ready to contest on behalf of TDP.
In Badvel, Dasari Sudha won in the by-poll held after the demise of Venkata Subbaiah. Now, there are many aspirants for the seat. Two-time MLA K Srinivasulu Reddy from Railway Kodur is looking for an encore, while P Narasimha Prasad is going to test his luck for the second time on a TDP ticket.
K Viswanath Naidu, TDP in charge of Rajampeta, is eying the seat and for the ruling party, Meda Mallikarjuna Reddy is seeking to contest again. He won the seat first on the TDP ticket and later as the YSRC nominee. However, the differences between Mallikarjuna Reddy and ZP Chairman A Amarnath Reddy seem to be causing a headache for the party leadership.