Srikakulam District: Competition for Assembly seats turns triangular

Srikakulam: In the wake of alliance between TDP, Jana Sena Party (JSP) and BJP, triangular competition is being witnessed for Assembly tickets in Srikakulam. The alliance has not announced candidates for Etcherla, Palakonda, Srikakulam, Palasa and Pathapatnam seats so far.

While BJP is eyeing Etcherla, Srikakulam and Pathapatnam Assembly seats, there is also no dearth of aspirants for tickets in TDP for these constituencies. In Etcherla, senior TDP leader and former minister Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao and another TDP leader Kalisetting Appala Naidu are trying for party ticket besides BJP leader Nadikuditi Eswara Rao.

In Pathapatnam constituency also, former MLA Kalamata Venkata Ramana and another leader Mamidi Govinda Rao competed with each other for the TDP ticket. On the other hand, BJP leader S Tejeswara Rao is also putting in all his efforts to get the ticket in the wake of alliance.

In Srikakulam Assembly constituency, TDP former MLA Gunda Lakshmidevi and another TDP leader Gondu Sankar are making efforts for ticket through their own sources. Apart from them, BJP leaders Pydi Venu Gopalam, N Surendra Kumar and Pydi Raja Rao are also making serious efforts to get party ticket as part alliance.

In Palasa, TDP has to claimants, Gouthu Sirisha and Juttu Thata Rao, for the tickets. They have been making all efforts for the ticket for the last two months. They faced competition from Jana Sena leader V Durga Rao in the initial stage of TDP and JSP alliance. Of late, Dr Daneti Sridhar joined in the JSP leaving YSRCP and JSP sources say Sridhar shifted loyalty only after being assured of ticket.

In Palakonda, TDP constituency in-charge Nimmaka Jaya Krishna and Padala Bhudevi are making serious efforts for the party ticket. Even as they are facing competition from Nimmala Abhraham and K V D Nageswara Rao of Jana Sena, the plot thickened with joining of BJP leader T Durga Rao in the race after sealing of alliance.

As expected, joining of BJP in alliance has added to the anxiety and uncertainty of TDP and Jana Sena ticket aspirants.