BJP all set to field its candidate in Srikalahasti

Tirupati: As it is almost decided to allot Srikalahasti ticket to BJP as part of the alliance, its state spokesperson Kola Anand has plunged into campaign mode though a formal announcement is yet to be made. While BJP cadres are buoyed in the constituency, TDP workers are in severe desperation as it will be the first time the party will not be contesting the Assembly elections there.

In fact, Srikalahasti is one of the strongholds of TDP and it has won the seat seven times out of 10 elections. Needless to say that out of seven TDP victories in the constituency, Sudheer’s father and senior TDP leader Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy won five times. In the previous election, Sudheer was fielded by the party because of his father’s health issues but he lost the election to YSRCP candidate Biyyapu Madhusudan Reddy.

This time also, the party has given enough indications to him that he will be the candidate again. During the Yuva Galam padayatra of Nara Lokesh, he reportedly gave assurance to Sudheer about his candidacy.

But it was learnt that the surveys conducted by the party high command in the constituency reportedly gave negative results for him with which the party was in second thoughts. Despite this, Sudheer and his family members have been making a hectic campaign and trying to garner the support of the people.

Sources said that the party was left with limited choices there to bring in an alternative to Sudheer. Though former MLA S C V Naidu who re-joined TDP some time back is considered a potential candidate, caste equations have become a major hindrance for him. TDP has already announced three Kamma candidates in the Chittoor – N Chandrababu Naidu (Kuppam), Gali Bhanu Prakash (Nagari) and Gurajala Jagan Mohan (Chittoor) and is actively considering the name of Pulivarthi Nani from Chandragiri.

If S C V Naidu is given the ticket, he will be the fifth one from the same community. Fearing it will send a wrong signal on the caste equations, the party is said to have readily agreed to BJP’s proposal to leave the seat for its alliance partner. As Jana Sena was given Tirupati seat, there will be no ambiguity at the moment about BJP’s contest in Srikalahasti. This has upset the party workers in both the constituencies while the Jana Sena and BJP cadres are upbeat.

With this, decks have cleared for Kola Anand who could secure only 4,004 votes in the last election when BJP contested alone. He held the posts of municipal vice-chairperson and Srikalahasti devasthanam chairman while he was in Congress.

After bifurcation of the state, he joined BJP and worked actively serving the party as its spokesperson. Once the official announcement on seat sharing comes in, BJP is expected to clear his name also from Srikalahasti. As this is imminent, he started campaigning and chalking out strategies to emerge victorious by defeating the sitting YSRCP MLA.