Jagan to launch poll drive from N Andhra

Visakhapatnam: The ruling YSRCP is gearing up to blow the poll bugle from Visakhapatnam on January 25, just ahead of the Republic Day. The party would be releasing its fourth list for the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls by Monday and then Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy would take up the campaign in all seriousness.

According to North Andhra district regional coordinator YV Subba Reddy, the Chief Minister would first address the party cadre in Bheemunipatnam on January 25 and give direction to them on how to win the elections. Reddy said the idea of this meeting was to involve at least 5,000 to 6,000 activists from each constituency in the meeting.

Jagan would directly explain to the cadre reasons behind the reshuffling of MLA candidates and constituency coordinators and motivate the party workers. He would hold five such regional meetings across the state. As part of CM’s visit to Vizag, Subba Reddy held a key meeting with the ministers, MLAs and MLCs from North Andhra. Ministers Botcha Satyanarayana, Gudivada Amarnath, Sidiri Appala Raju, former minister Pushpa Srivani, MLAs and MLCs participated in the meeting.

Meanwhile, the exercise to finalise the fourth list of candidates which includes changes in the sitting MLAs and MPs or shifting them to other constituencies is on. The fourth list would see changes in about 15 Assembly and 12 Lok Sabha seats. The Chief Minister on Thursday met many MLAs, including Samineni Uday Bhanu, Bura Madhusudhan Yadav and others. He reviewed the political situation in Jaggaiahpeta and Kanigiri. Sources said that the YSRCP is likely to retain Samineni from the Jaggaiahpeta constituency in view of the survey reports, his performance and social equations. Chairperson of Mahila Commission Vasireddy Padma also met the party coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and pleaded for ticket from Jaggaiahpeta to which she belongs. In the past, she had tried for the Rajahmundry urban seat but could not get the ticket.

In another development, former minister Kolusu Pardhasarathi got all the flexis of the YSRCP removed from his house and is replacing them with TDP flexis as he would be joining the party on Saturday. Also, Chintalapudi MLA Vunnamatla Rakada Eliza met the party coordinator at the CM camp office on Friday but left the place in a huff saying that the party had ignored him. Reacting to this, Minister Botcha Satyanarayana said that such scenes in any party is a common feature before the elections. The party never wants to lose any of its leaders, but some changes based on the ground situation become necessary and all should abide by the decision of the party. If someone quits on his own there is nothing the party can do.