Tirupati: Triangular contest on cards

Tirupati: The byelection for Tirupati Parliamentary constituency which is to be held in early 2021 is generating heat from now onwards. The byelection was necessitated with the sudden demise of sitting YSRCP MP Balli Durga Prasada Rao in September this year. YSRCP leaders are indicating that Kalyana Chakravarthy, son of Durga Prasad will be fielded from this seat.

BJP has announced that it will field a candidate along with Jana Sena and even went to the extent of saying that they will win this seat as they recently won Dubbaka Assembly election. While the doubts persist on TDP's stand, its supremo N Chandrababu Naidu announced on Monday that former MP and Union minister Panabaka Lakshmi will contest the election.

It may be recalled that she contested the election in 2019 on TDP's ticket and lost to Balli Durga Prasada Rao. Naidu's dictum to the party leaders during the video conference on Monday to work for party candidate's victory has cleared the ambiguity on its stand. There was a tradition among political parties not to field candidates when the candidatures of family members of demised people's representatives are announced.

However, in the changed political scenario, TDP has also decided to field its candidate which will ensure a triangular contest in the constituency whereas the Congress' stand is yet to be known. Congress leader Chinta Mohan won the seat six times earlier but he has not yet revealed his stand on contesting this time. The left parties also have not made up their minds on contesting the byelection.

This reserved constituency has three segments – Tirupati, Srikalahasti and Satyavedu — in Chittoor district while the remaining four – Venkatagiri, Sullurpeta, Gudur and Sarvepalli in Nellore district. There have been speculation for the the last two months that Panabaka Lakshmi may shift her loyalty to another party and former minister from TDP Parasa Rathnam has been trying to bag the ticket.

The announcement of Naidu about the candidature of Panabaka has put an end to this talk for now. With the election notification expected before December, hectic political activity can be expected from now onwards.