VIJAYAWADA/VISAKHAPATNAM: Even as the TDP announced the first list of candidates for 94 Assembly constituencies on Saturday, several senior leaders have failed to find a place in it. Prominently, the names of TDP senior K Kala Venkata Rao, Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdary, Yarapathineni Srinivasa Rao, Chintamaneni Prabhakar Rao, Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao, Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Palla Srinivas Rao were not found in the list.
Out of the four YSRC ‘rebel’ MLAs, who extended support to the TDP, only Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy’s name figured in the list. BK Parthasarathy of Penukonda (Anantapur district) was denied TDP ticket, which irked his followers. However, sources in the TDP say that some of the senior leaders are unlikely to get the party tickets to contest the elections.
In the erstwhile combined Visakhapatnam district, the TDP-JSP alliance seats declaration triggered dissent among TDP cadre. In Anakapalle, followers of former MLA Peela Govind and former MLC Buddha Naga Jagadeesh protested against the allotment of Anakapalle seat to the JSP. Govind is said to be planning to hold a meeting with his followers to take a decision on his future course of action.
Protesting against the unilateral decision to field sitting MLA Gana Babu from Visakhapatnam West constituency, TDP leader Pasarla Prasad resigned from the party. Ganta is likely to meet TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday to get clarity on his constituency. Ganta is reportedly seeking Bheemili, while the TDP leadership wants him to contest against Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana from Cheepurupalli. Gajapathi Nagaram TDP in-charge Kondapalli Appalanaidu quit the TDP following the allotment of party ticket to Kondapalli Srinivas Rao.
In Penukonda, Parthasarathi’s followers burnt the flexes of TDP to protest against the denial of party ticket. In Tiruvuru of Krishna district, constituency incharge S Devadat refused to meet Kolikapudi Srinivasa Rao, who got the ticket to contest the seat. In the erstwhile Kadapa district, followers of Rayachoti incharge R Ramesh Reddy burnt the TDP flags as the ticket was allotted to M Ram Prasad Reddy.
