No clarity yet on YSRC, TDP contestants in Prakasam
ONGOLE: Confusion has prevailed among the cadres of both the ruling YSRC and the opposition TDP in Prakasam district even if the general elections are hardly three months away.
The reason is the leadership of YSRC and the TDP-JSP alliance are yet to give clarity on contestants in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections from the district. Both the parties have not yet completed the filtering of ticket aspirants to select suitable candidates after considering all equations.
The recent reshuffling of four YSRC leaders, including a sitting MLA in four Assembly segments (Yerragondapalem, Kondepi, Santhanutalapadu and Addanki) of the erstwhile undivided Prakasam district has created some noise among the party rank and file, and Giddalur MLA Anna Rambabu’s announcement that he is opting out of the contest added much sound to it.
Though YSRC general secretary V Vijayasai Reddy has initiated a dialogue with Prakasam district leaders, the outcome has not come out yet. Ongole MLA Balineni Srinivasa Reddy often says that he is going to contest from Ongole only in the ensuing elections, and along with him, Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy will also contest from the same seat. But this is not yet officially confirmed by the YSRC leadership. Further, followers of MLAs M Venugopal (Darsi), Burra Madhusudan (Kanigiri), KP Nagarjuna Reddy (Markapur), M Mahidhar Reddy (Kandukur) are eagerly waiting for the announcement of the candidates list with the hope that their leaders will be given ticket again.
As Municipal Administration Minister Audimulapu Suresh has taken over the party in charge responsibilities in Kondepi, now the YSRC leadership seems to be working hard to select a suitable candidate to replace him in Yerragondapalem.
On the other hand, the main opposition TDP is busy making arrangements for the next phase of a political campaign in Kanigiri. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu will address a mega public meeting at Kanigiri on January 5 as part of the Jayaho BC programme.
Ongole Lok Sabha constituency TDP president Nukasani Balaji, Kanigiri TDP in charge Ugra Narasimha Reddy, Yerragondapalem in charge Guduri Erixion Babu and other leaders conducted a field survey on Friday and Saturday in Kanigiri and surrounding areas to select the venue for Naidu’s meeting. As more than one lakh people are expected to attend the meeting from the eight Assembly constituencies of the district, the TDP has decided to make elaborate arrangements to ensure its success.
As the seat-sharing between the TDP and the JSP is yet to be finalised, leaders of both parties are expecting more seats in the district. All the sitting TDP MLAs Y Sambasiva Rao (Parchur), Gottipati Ravi Kumar (Addanki) and DSBV Swamy (Kondepi) are likely to be fielded from the same constituencies again in the ensuing elections. The remaining Kanigiri, Giddalur, Darsi, Markapur and Santhanutalapadu Assembly seats are expected to be shared between two parties as part of the alliance.