ONGOLE: Finally, the TDP has announced its candidates for Darsi Assembly and Ongole Lok Sabha candidates in the erstwhile undivided Prakasam district.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu named sitting MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, who recently joined the yellow party from the YSRC, for Ongole MP seat, and Dr G Lakshmi, who hails from a well-known political family in Palnadu district, for Darsi MLA seat.
With this, the TDP has completed selection of candidates for all the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in the district, and is set to launch the election campaign in a big way.
Though Magunta had sought the ticket for his son Raghava Reddy, the TDP chief had decided to field the incumbent. In fact, Magunta wanted to retire from active politics and bring his sone into active politics.
After, YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy refused ticket to Magunta, he quit the ruling party and joined the yellow party. “We are confident of victory in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Our tripartite alliance candidate Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy will win the election with a huge majority in Ongole and all our MLA contestants will also win at their respective segments as the people’s affection to the TDP-JSP-BJP combine across the State is visible,” said Nukasani Balaji, TDP district president.
Further, the TDP high command announced Dr Lakshmi as its candidate for Darsi Assembly seat after filtering several aspirants, including former MLA Narapusetti Papa Rao, Garikapati Venkat and Gorantla Ravikumar.
Of the total 8 Assembly segments in Ongole Lok Sabha constituency, except Kondepi (SC), the remaining Ongole, SN Padu (SC), Darsi, Kanigiri, Markapur, Giddalur and Yerragonda Palem (SC) were won by the YSRC in the 2019 elections.
The ruling party is evolving plans to make a clean sweep this time and keeping this target in mind, the ruling party shifted Municipal Administration Minister Audimulapu Suresh to Kondepi from Yerragonda Palem and named all its MLA candidates in Ongole Lok Sabha segment well in advance.
Except former minister Balineni Srinivasa Rao (Ongole), the remaining seven MLA candidates and MP candidate Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy are new to their respective segments.