VIJAYAWADA: Even as the people’s focus is on what changes will be in the ruling YSRC’s third list of constituency coordinators/incharges, the opposition TDP is silently finalising its candidates for several Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the State.
According to highly placed sources in the party, the TDP has already finalised 80% of its candidates. The selected contestants have been informed, albeit privately, and they are already engaged in election campaign in their respective constituencies. The TDP’s swiftness has put a spanner in the plans of those contemplating to shift their loyalties in the YSRC as they do not know where they will stand in the new scenario.
Revealing that the seat sharing between the TDP and JSP has almost been finalised during the talks held between TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and JSP chief Pawan Kalyan, a senior TDP leader said, “Though an official announcement is yet to be made in this regard, the party has already given a green signal to contestants of most of the constituencies to make their ground work for the ensuing elections.
Asserting that the TDP is not lagging behind in finalising the candidates, another senior leader said, “Naidu has already given a green signal to candidates of almost 80% of the Assembly constituencies the party is going to contest as part of the seat sharing with the JSP.
“As of now, the TDP is in alliance with the JSP, and the seat sharing issue has almost come to a conclusion. We are expecting an official announcement on the seat sharing by the end of January,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of an electoral alliance with the BJP, he said there has been no such proposal before the TDP so far.
Disclosing that several YSRC leaders, who have been denied ticket, are knocking the doors of the TDP, he opined that though the party leadership may induct some of them, the chances of offering them a chance to contest the elections are bleak.