Muddaraboina adopts wait and watch policy on quitting TDP

Vijayawada: TDP leader and former MLA Muddaraboina Venkateswara Rao, who has decided to quit the TDP and join the YSRCP is adopting wait and watch policy for a few days.

He convened a meeting with his supporters and followers and held prolonged discussions with them on Saturday night. He told his supporters he needs some more time to take a decision on quitting the TDP. He was in tears at the meeting with his supporters in Nuzvid on Saturday night and was not willing to quit the TDP.

Supporters of Muddaraboina Venkateswara Rao told their leader to postpone the decision of quitting the TDP. The TDP leader and former MLA was disappointed with the decision taken by the party leadership to field Kolusu Parthasarathy from Nuzvid Assembly constituency. Parthasarathy is the sitting YSRCP MLA of Penamaluru Assembly constituency and has decided to join the TDP.

The YSRCP has appointed Housing Minister Jogi Ramesh as the in-charge of Penamaluru constituency and he may contest from the Penamaluru in 2024 Assembly elections.

In this backdrop, Parthasarathy shifted his base from Penamaluru to Nuzvid and began poll preparations.

Venkateswara Rao contested from Nuzvid in 2014 and 2019 on behalf of the TDP and lost on both the occasions. In this backdrop, the TDP leadership has decided not to field Venkateswara Rao third time in a row in 2024.

Venkateswara Rao did service activities for a long time in the constituency with a hope of contesting the polls from Nuzvid constituency.

Penamaluru sitting MLA Kolusu Parthasarathy had planned to contest the polls in 2024 again on YSRCP ticket from the same constituency. But, the YSRCP leadership has changed the in-charge of Penamaluru constituency. Pedana MLA and Housing Minister Jogi Ramesh has been appointed as the in-charge of the Penamaluru Assembly constituency.

Consequently, Parthasarathy quit the YSRCP and met the TDP leaders. He has finally decided to contest the polls on behalf of TDP from Nuzvid. He started the poll preparations and has been holding meetings with the TDP cadres in Nuzvid. However, it is not yet known how the local TDP cadres will respond to him in Nuzvid. He is a non-local candidate and had pursued his political career from Vuyyur and Penamaluru for over two decades.

But Parthasarathy is a senior leader and has already registered victory in Assembly polls thrice. He won twice from the Congress and one time from the YSRCP. Muddaraboina may be given Gannavaram ticket if he joins the YSRCP.

The TDP may field Yarlagadda Venkata Rao from Gannavaram constituency. He was in the YSRCP till recently. He was not happy with the YSRCP leadership and quit the party. Venkata Rao already launched the election campaign in Gannavaram constituency.

Both Gannavaram and Nuzvid constituencies are in news for fast changing political developments in recent weeks. Both YSRCP and TDP are taking decisions carefully on choosing the contesting candidates. Caste equations and surveys conducted by the political parties are very crucial in choosing the candidates.