Internal bickerings in YSRCP at peak

Srikakulam: Rivalries reached peak among YSRCP leaders in Amadalavalasa, Pathapatnam and Etcherla Assembly constituencies in the district. There are 8 Assembly constituencies in the district. While TDP candidates won in two constituencies at Tekkali, Kinjarapu Atchannaidu and in Itchapuram, Bendalam Ashok, YSRCP candidates won in six constituencies, Amadalavalasa, Etcherla, Narasannapeta, Palasa, Pathapatnam and Srikakulam during 2019 general elections.

Etecherla and Pathapatnam constituencies Gorle Kiran Kumar and R Shanthi were elected respectively as MLAs for the first time. Due to lack of experience they are unable to coordinate with mandal-level leaders and failed to tackle issues effectively.

In Pathapatnam constituency MLA R Shanthi failed to tackle woes of Vamsadhara irrigation project affected people. As a result, YSRCP leaders in these two constituencies openly expressed their dissent against the MLAs. In Amadalavalasa constituency Tammineni Sitaram is senior legislature and accommodated as Assembly speaker but he utterly failed to tackle issues with his own party leaders in the segment. As a result, mandal-level leaders from Ponduru, Amadalavalasa mandals in the constituency are conducting party activities without his consent and also maintaining their own groups in their respective areas.

According to sources, a senior legislator of YSRCP belonging to Chittoor district has been collecting inputs regarding rifts among the leaders. Due to this, these three existing MLAs may lose party tickets in coming elections.