VIJAYAWADA/KADAPA : The Congress high command held the screening committee meeting on Monday and finalised candidates for five Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh. Subsequently, APCC chief YS Sharmila is set to announce her candidature for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday. She will make the announcement at her father and former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s samadhi in Idupulapaya, YSR district.
With the YSRC renominating incumbent MP YS Avinash Reddy, who is also Sharmila’s cousin brother, the contest for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, which has been in the YSR family since 1989, will be a fierce one in all likelihood. Whoever wins, the margin is unlikely to be more than the previous elections.
Speaking to mediapersons after the screening committee meeting, Sharmila said names of candidates for 114 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats have been approved. The list will most likely be released on Tuesday, she added. “As for the remaining seats, candidates will be finalised in another one week,” she said.
Congress is likely to field candidates with a significant clout for the Assembly segments under the Kadapa Parliamentary constituency. Disgruntled YSRC members might support Sharmila.
According to party sources, soon after her announcement, Sharmila will visit the office of Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind and later attend Iftar at the Ameen Function Palace in Kadapa.
Meanwhile, former MLA from Kamalapuram, Veera Siva Reddy met Sharmila just after the TDP conducted a survey for his candidature from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat. Admitting that he met the APCC chief, Siva Reddy said he has not taken any decision regarding his political future. Meanwhile, sources said former APCC chief Gidugu Rudra Raju will contest from Rajamahendravaram, former union minister Pallam Raju from Kakianda, and former minister JD Seelam from Bapatla. Senior leader and former APCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy chose not to contest, but will campaign for the party across the State.
