Tangle over three seats in YSRCP

Rajamahendravaram: Why is YSRCP silent on announcing candidates for Rajanagaram and Anaparthi seats, even though there are powerful and influential leaders in the party and there are no competitors?

Besides the candidate for Rajahmundry Lok Sabha constituency, the YSRCP high command has announced in-charges for four of the seven Assembly constituencies under its jurisdiction. There has been a change of candidates in all four Assembly seats where in-charges have been announced. Rajahmundry MP Margani Bharat Ram is the in-charge of Rajahmundry city Assembly constituency. Guduri Srinivas, who was city coordinator here, was appointed as the in-charge of Rajahmundry Lok Sabha constituency.

BC Welfare, Information& Public Relations and Cinematography Minister Chelluboina Srinivasa Venu Gopala Krishna has been appointed as the in-charge of Rajahmundry Rural seat. Chandana Nageswar, who has been the in-charge of this constituency for four years, has been sidelined.

Home Minister Taneti Vanitha, who represents Kovvur constituency has been shifted to the neighbouring Gopalapuram constituency and Gopalapuram MLA Thalari Venkatarao has been shifted to Kovvur.

But the situation is interesting in Rajanagaram, Anaparthi and Nidadavolu constituencies, for which in-charges are not yet announced. Barring Nidadavolu, the strongest candidates in the remaining two seats are MLAs. No other leaders are trying for these seats either.

YSRCP is ahead in announcing candidates in the form of in-charges. The respective leaders are engaged in impressing people of the constituency. In this background, the leaders are confused as the announcement of the in-charges is pending. Bettings also going on whether the sitting MLAs will get seats in these three places or not.

TDP won 2009 and 2014 elections in Rajanagaram constituency and YSRCP won in 2019 in a ‘fan wave’.

MLA of this constituency Jakkampudi Raja is also YSRCP district president. Battula Balaramakrishna, who iscampaigning as Jana Sena candidate, is in the forefront of campaign though there is no official announcement.

There is a strong campaign that Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan is likely to contest from Rajanagaram constituency. It was reportedly for this reason that YSRCP has not yet announcedits candidate here.

Anaparthi MLA Dr Satthi Suryanarayana Reddy has a better reputation as a doctor than as a politician. Although he won for the first time, there were many accusations against him regarding mining and land acquisition. But he has good relations with the high command.

Similarly, sitting MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy is facing fierce opposition in Kakinada. It was revealed that party leadership was also thinking of sending Dwarampudi to Anaparthi constituency as part of last-minute changes.

The situation in Nidadavolu constituency is completely different. Party circles say MLA G Srinivasa Naidu has no coordination with local leaders. Although the second-tier leaders are angry that he isacting unilaterally, the party is thinking of an alternative in the circumstances. It is claimed that MP Bharat Ram has been entrusted with the responsibility of finding a suitable candidate here.