Rajamahendravaram: TDP leaders jittery over possible truck with BJP

Rajamahendravaram : With BJP favouring alliance with TDP-Jana Sena, there is a lot of confusion and sort of anxiety among the leaders of the TDP under Rajahmundry Parliament constituency. There have been many aspirants for Rajahmundry Lok Sabha seat. If BJP is also to be accommodated in the alliances, they fear that TDP or JSP will have to sacrifice seats which they have been nurturing. The worry is more about Rajahmundry city, Rajahmundry rural, Rajanagaram and Kovvur seats.

In the 2019 Assembly elections, the TDP won in the Rajahmundry city and rural constituencies, despite the pro-YSRCP wave blowing across the state. Political veteran and TDP politburo member Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary won in the rural constituency, daughter of former Union minister late K Yerrannaidu and former MLC Adireddy Apparao's daughter-in-law Bhavani won in the city constituency.

They have been feeling certain that they are guaranteed seats in the quota of sitting MLAs once again. But in the wake of the alliance with the Jana Sena, many thought that the Rajahmundry rural seat would be allotted to Jana Sena district president Kandula Durgesh.

Meanwhile, Butchaiah Chowdary asked the TDP leadership to allot Rajahmundry city to him if the rural seat was allotted to the Jana Sena. Adireddy Vasu, husband of sitting MLA Bhavani, wants to contest from the city constituency. Against this backdrop, the party reportedly suggested that Butchaiah shift to the Rajanagaram constituency, but he refused.

Recently, Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan made a surprise announcement that they will contest from Rajanagaram constituency in East Godavari and he did not mention Rajahmundry rural. With this, Butchaiah and Adireddy Vasu thought that their seats were safe. But confusion arose again with BJP calling TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu to Delhi purportedly for alliance talks.

After the formation of TDP, the party won only thrice from Rajahmundry Lok Sabha seat. Chundru Srihari Rao in the 1984 election, K V R Chowdary in 1991 and Maganti Murali Mohan in 2014 won as TDP MPs from Rajahmundry.

In the 1998 election, BJP candidate Girajala Venkataswamy Naidu won. In 1999, this seat was allotted to the BJP as part of the alliance between the BJP and TDP. S B P B K Satyanarayana Rao contested from here and won.

It is believed that the BJP will ask for the Rajahmundry seat because it has won the seat twice, and once even without an alliance. According to party sources, BJP state president and former Union minister Daggubati Purandeswari is likely to contest from Rajahmundry.

Many TDP leaders are also keen to contest from Rajahmundry Parliament seat. State leaders Ganni Krishna, Kambhampati Rammohan Rao and others are among them. In the MLA seats, Rajanagaram seems to have already been finalised for Jana Sena. In 2014, the Rajahmundry city seat was allotted to the BJP as part of the alliance.

Then Dr Akula Satyanarayana won as BJP candidate. This time too, there are chances of the BJP asking for the city constituency.

If that happens, Adireddy Vasu will be in trouble. Even in the case of Rajahmundry rural seat, there is still uncertainty. Former MLC Kandula Durgesh, who is currently the Jana Sena district president, has been associated with the constituency for 15 years. There is a strong demand from the Jana Sena to give that seat to him.

It is interesting to see how TDP will tackle the complex situation to placate both BJP (if the alliance materialises) and Jana Sena, without alienating its long-time and committed leaders like Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, Adireddy Vasu, Ganni Krishna, Boddu Venkataramana and others.