VIJAYAWADA: Former minister and Ongole MLA Balineni Srinivasa Reddy is said to have expressed his dissatisfaction over the YSRC considering Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy for the Ongole Lok Sabha seat.
The selection of a strong candidate for Ongole Lok Sabha seat has become a tough task for the YSRC. The five-time MLA and former minister has been insisting that the sitting MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy be given the seat once again, but the party leadership is reportedly thinking of another alternative leader.
The party leadership, including Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, reportedly held several meetings with Balineni and tried to convince him that his MLA seat is secure but wanted him not to insist on Magunta’s candidature.
Balineni was reportedly assured that he would be given a chance to contest as an MLA. The party does not had a strong alternative leader to contest as Balineni has been winning the seat since 1999 except in 2014, and has made a strong ground for himself in the segment. With the party leadership taking up the exercise of appointing incharges, there were reports that Balineni might be replaced.
The party, however, is unable to find a strong leader and kept the announcement on hold. Balineni, on the other hand, is trying to get his son make a political debut from any of the Assembly segment in Prakasam district.
Like in several other Lok Sabha segments, there was not much interest from the party leaders to contest the Ongole seat and the party was finding it tough to narrow down on a strong leader. The party considered several leaders who would fit into the contest, but Balineni reportedly did not approve anyone of them, sources said.
Just a couple of days back, Balineni said he left the choice to the high command after meeting senior leaders in Tadepalli. However, as the party appointed Chevireddy as the regional coordinator of Ongole parliamentary seat and three other Assembly segments under it, there were reports that the Chandragiri MLA would be fielded from the LS constituency. The party had already announced Chevireddy’s son Mohith Reddy as the incharge for his Assembly seat.