KURNOOL : It is a proxy war in the two Assembly constituencies of Nandikotukur and Kodumuru, reserved for Scheduled Castes. Influential Reddy leaders in both the TDP and the YSRC are fighting the electoral battle on behalf of the actual SC candidates.
In Nandikotkur, the contest, thus has become a battle between ‘Mandra Shivananda Reddy and Byreddy Siddarth Reddy’ while in Kodumuru, it is between Vishnuvardhan Reddy and Harshavardhan Reddy.
In Nandikotkur, Gitta Jayasurya is contesting on TDP ticket, but it is TDP Nandyal parliament constituency in-charge Shivananda Reddy who is backing him.
They are making an all-out effort to secure Jayasurya’s victory in the election. Ranged against him is Dr Sudheer Dhara of YSRC who has the full support of Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) Chairman Byreddy Siddarth Reddy.
In Kodumuru, Kurnool Urban Development Authority (KUDA) Chairman Kotla Harshavardhan Reddy is working overtime to help YSRC candidate Adimulapu Satish win the Assembly seat.
Intent on defeating the YSRC nominee, TDP in-charge Eduru Vishnuvardhan Reddy is backing party candidate Boggula Dastagiri. The powerful Reddy sponsors of the TDP and the YSRC candidates are taking care of all aspects of the campaign so much so that the real contestants have ceased to matter for all practical purposes.
A political enthusiast Chandrasekhar who hails from Nandikotkur town said, “Nandikotkur and Kodumuru may have been reserved for SCs. But the actual fight is between the Reddy leaders of the two parties. The elections in the two reserved Assembly constituencies appear as they are general segments.”