VIJAYAWADA : Even as the candidates are busy filing nominations for elections to the Lok Sabha as well as the Assembly, the BJP and TDP are yet to come to an understanding on Anaparthy Assembly seat, which is part of Rajamahendravaram Lok Sabha constituency where BJP State president Daggubati Purandeswari is in the fray.
The BJP, which is not keen on contesting in Anaparthy, is reportedly seeking Denduluru ticket instead and it is likely to get it, sources said. As part of the seat-sharing exercise, the TDP allotted Anaparthy seat to the BJP which had reportedly sought either Rajamahendravam Urban or Rural seat for its former party State president Somu Veerraju. As the TDP is strong in the two Assembly segments and has sitting MLAs there, it wanted to allot Anaparthy to the BJP. The BJP does not have much base in Anaparthy. It picked up M Shiva Krishnam Raju as its candidate.
The TDP has a leader Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy, who had won the seat earlier once. A leader from the Reddy community, he has been winning the seat since 1978.
Nallamilli has raised a banner of revolt against the party for denying him the ticket after announcing his name initially. In a show of strength, he had been campaigning in the constituency to garner support.
The BJP, on the other hand, is apprehensive that Purandeswari’s winning chances might be hampered if the alliance loses Anaparthy seat. They are aware that in the 2009 elections for Rajamahendravaram MP seat, the TDP secured a majority in all the six MLA segments except Anaparthy. The Congress secured a majority of 60,000 votes in Anaparthy and it helped its MP candidate Undavalli Arun Kumar win the elections. A similar situation might hamper the chances of Purandeswari, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the party is unable to convince its general secretary Garapati Sita Ramanjaneya (Tapana) Chowdary, who aspired to contest from Eluru MP seat, against contesting as an independent candidate.
He is now preparing ground to contest as an MP as well as an MLA from Denduluru. Sources said though the TDP had announced former MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar as its candidate, it is said the leadership might ask him to sacrifice the seat and give it to the BJP.