Kadapa: Ponnapureddy likely to face tough fight in MLC polls

Kadapa (YSR district): Though it appears easy victory for YSRCPcandidate Ponnapureddy Rama Subba Reddy in the MLC elections but the prevalence of internal differences with Jammalamadugu MLA M Sudheer Reddy forced him to face tough fight from opposition despite the ruling party having a majority of ZPTCs and MPTCs in the district. 

With just 24 hours left for filing of nominations for local body elections, the TDP or BJP not yet announced their candidates.  YSRCP declared former Jammalamadugu MLA Ponnapureddy Rama Subba Reddy as its MLC candidate for local body elections. Following differences cropped with Jammalamadugu MLA M Sudheer Reddy, Rama Subba Reddy has an uphill task in the polls. It may be recalled that Ponnapureddy, who contested the election from Jammalamadugu Assembly Segment under TDP banner, was defeated in the hands of YSRCP candidate M Sudheer Reddy in 2019 elections. 

After unsuccessful contest in 2019 elections, Rama Subba Reddy joined YSRCP in 2020 with the invitation of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.  This led to intensification of political rivalry between M Sudheer Reddy and Rama Subba Reddy, which also hit the development in Jammalamadugu. As part of damage control measures, Jagan Mohan Reddy proposed the candidature of Ponnapureddy for MLC polls. 

A party senior leader on the condition of anonymity says Ponnapureddy was a lucky man as no political party was in the race. Otherwise history will re peat in which YSRCP MLC candidate Y S Vivekananda Reddy defeated following back stabbed politics played by its own partymen in the last MLC elections. "But overcoming the dissidence within the party might become a mammoth task for him with political differences cropped up with M Sudheer Reddy," he said.