GUNTUR : The ruling YSRC is striving to retain all seven Assembly segments in Palnadu district for the second consecutive time, while the Opposition TDP is also leaving no stone unturned to regain its lost glory.
After the reorganisation of districts, Palnadu has as many as seven Assembly seats: Pedakurapadu, Chilakaluripet, Narasaraopet, Sattenapalli, Vinukonda, Gurajala, and Macherla. The YSRC has a stronghold over Palnadu, a region that has remained backward for several years, as it managed to get the vote bank of minorities supported the Congress in the past.
Despite losing all seven Assembly segments, the TDP has renominated most of the candidates, except for a few changes. The party has fielded Bhashyam Praveen, a realtor, in Pedakurappadu, and Kanna Lakshminarayana in Sattenapalli.
The YSRC, too, has made a few changes by nominating Guntur Mayor and Kapu leader Kavati Manohar Naidu in Chilakaluripet against TDP leader Prathipati Pullarao. Sitting Chilakaluripet MLA and Health Minister Vidadala Rajini has been shifted to Guntur West.
In Narasaraopet, TDP’s Chadalavada Arvind Babu is contesting against YSRC leader and two-time MLA Dr Gopireddy Srinivasa Reddy, while TDP district in-charge GV Anjaneyulu has been fielded against sitting MLA Bolla Brahma Naidu in Vinukonda.
In Macherla, TDP leader Julakanit Brahmananda Reddy is in the fray against five-time MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy. The political heat in Gurazala is high as YSRC MLA Kasu Mahesh Reddy and TDP’s Yarapatineni Srinivasa Rao are in a tug of war, making corruption allegations against each other.
In the past few days, both TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRC president and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the district and held public meetings.