GUNTUR: With indications that the Assembly elections may be earlier than expected, both the YSRC and the TDP-JSP alliance have started fast changing their strategies to achieve a landslide victory. Though it is banking on its welfare agenda, the ruling YSRC has initiated some internal changes to make a clean sweep in the erstwhile undivided Guntur district.
As part of the strategy, the YSRC has appointed new incharges for seven constituencies in the district. Though the resignation of Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy came as a surprise and triggered a series of political developments in the State, the YSRC rank and file under the leadership of new YSRC incharge Ganji Chiranjeevi is trying to maintain the same momentum in the Assembly segment.
TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh who announced that he will contest from Mangalagiri for the second consecutive time in the upcoming elections, has stepped up his campaign.
Lost to Alla in 2014 with a slender margin of 12 votes as a TDP candidate, Chiranjeevi, who hails from the weavers community, joined the YSRC in 2021. Lokesh seems to be confident of his victory in the ensuing elections as his Yuva Galam Padayatra had evoked a good response.
The political scenario in Guntur West has completely changed with the appointment of Health Minister Vidadala Rajini as the YSRC constituency incharge. With the support of sitting MLA Maddali Giridhar, she has started her campaign division-wise in the city to reach out to the people.
The attack on her party office has sparked a political conflict with the TDP and YSRC blaming each other for the incident. As the TDP is yet to finalise its MLA candidate, several aspirants have started actively taking part in the party outreach programmes with the hopes of attracting the attention of TDP leadership.
The appointment of Shaik Noori Fathima, daughter of sitting YSRC MLA Shaik Musthafa, as the incharge of Guntur East constituency has not come as a surprise as the two-time MLA had already announced her as his political heir. Without clarifying about his future strategy, Narasaraopet MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayulu has openly refused to contest from Guntur Lok Sabha seat as per the directive of YSRC leadership.
Former minister Mekathoti Sucharitha, a three-time MLA from Prathipadu, has been appointed as YSRC incharge of Tadikonda. According to political analysts the YSRC’s win in Tadikonda is not an easy task as it is facing stiff opposition from Amaravati farmers with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s decision to set up three capitals.
However, the TDP has not yet finalised its candidate from Tadikonda. The key segment is likely to witness a tough contest between the ruling YSRC and the opposition TDP as the capital issue is set to play a crucial role in the election outcome, opined a political analyst.
7 INCHARGES CHANGED
As part of its ‘Mission 175’, the YSRC leadership has changed incharges of seven Assembly constituencies in the erstwhile undivided Guntur district to make a clean sweep in next polls