ANANTAPUR: With the appointment of new YSRC incharges for key Assembly constituencies, there seems to be a significant shift in the political landscape of the erstwhile undivided Anantapur district.As part of its ‘Mission 175’, the YSRC leadership has shuffled incharges of Penukonda, Kalyanadurgam and Kadiri Assembly segments. Former MP J Shanta, who belongs to the Valmiki community, has been made incharge of Hindupur Lok Sabha seat. Former minister and Penukonda MLA Mallagundla Shankar Narayana has been appointed as incharge of Anantapur Lok Sabha seat.
Now, the TDP-JSP combine seems to be searching for strong contenders to give a tough fight to the ruling YSRC after the reshuffle of incharges.Women and Child Welfare Minister KV Ushashri Charan, who hails from the Kuruba community, has been appointed as incharge of Penukonda constituency. Talari Rangaiah and Maqbool Ahmed, both hailing from the BC community, have become incharges of Kalyanadurgam and Kadiri.
The YSRC is said be toying with the idea of fielding BC candidates from Tadipatri, Uravakonda, Rayadurgam and Raptadu. It is also contemplating alloting Dharmavaram ticket to a BC leader from the weavers’ community by shifting sitting MLA Kethireddy Venkatrami Reddy to Tadipatri.
According to YSRC sources, the ruling party is likely to field DSP Srinivasa Kumar from Singanamala, which is an SC reserved segment. Similarly, the name of Deepika is said to be under consideration for Hindupur Assembly segment. The YSRC strategically plans to field new faces from Rayadurgam, Dharmavaram, Raptadu, Tadipatri, Guntakal and Uravakonda constituencies as a measure to overcome anti-incumbency.
Furious and disappointed after being denied ticket, Rayadurgam MLA Kapu Ramachandra Reddy has vowed to contest the ensuing elections on behalf of whoever gives him ticket and in case no one gives him ticket he will contest Kalyandurgam seat as an independent and his wife from Rayadurgam.
Sitting legislators and the newly appointed incharges have started devising strategies to win the elections. The inclusion of new faces from various BC communities reflects a broader strategy of the YSRC aimed at making a clean sweep in the district in the ensuing Assembly elections, observed a political analyst.