Parties busy finalising candidates in constituencies

Tirupati: With clear indications that the notification for Assembly and general elections would be announced sometime during March first week, there is still uncertainty over the names of contesting candidates of YSRCP and TDP in several constituencies of Chittoor district.

The YSRCP has given clarity on the candidatures in 11 out of 14 constituencies while the TDP-Jana Sena is yet to announce the names in about seven constituencies.

The YSRCP has finalised candidates for all three Lok Sabha seats whereas TDP is yet to announce the names of the candidates. It may decide only after the issue of alliance with BJP gets clarity.

The in-charges announced by the parties in various constituencies have kick-started the campaign and meeting various sections of the people. The TDP-Jana Sena

party leaders were of the view that there will be an advantage of getting the candidature early which will give them more time to work out strategies.

“In majority constituencies, YSRCP candidates have almost completed the initial round of campaigning covering all villages. Our candidates will have to forego that leverage as there will not be enough time once the schedule is announced,” opined a TDP leader.

Out of 14 Assembly constituencies in Chittoor district, there is clarity on candidates from the two parties in only five constituencies – Kuppam, Nagari and three reserved constituencies Puthalapattu, GD Nellore and Satyavedu.

TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRCP constituency in-charge KRJ Bharath are certainties in Kuppam. In Puthalapattu, former MLA M Sunil Kumar (YSRCP) and new incumbent K Murali Mohan (TDP) will try their fortunes.

Deputy Chief Minister K Narayana Swamy will contest again on YSRCP ticket from GD Nellore while TDP is fielding a new face Dr VM Thomas. Satyavedu battle field is getting ready for two new faces Nukathoti Rajesh (YSRCP) and Dr Helen (TDP) while Minister and sitting MLA RK Roja appears to be contesting again from Nagari against TDP’s Gali Bhanu Prakash whom she defeated in 2019 elections.

In Srikalahasti, though sitting MLA Biyyapu Madhusudan Reddy has fair chances of getting the ticket again, doubts still persist as the party has not given any official indication. Here, ambiguity on TDP candidates is also continuing.

In Palamaner and Piler, N Amaranatha Reddy and N Kishore Kumar Reddy will be the obvious choices and they have been campaigning as well. In these two constituencies YSRCP has not announced its in-charges though the sitting MLAs N Venkate Gowda and C Ramachandra Reddy represent that party.

Contrary to this, YSRCP candidates in Tirupati (Bhumana Abhinay Reddy), Chandragiri (Chevireddy Mohith Reddy), Punganur (Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy), Madanapalle (Nisar Ahmed), Thamballapalle (Peddireddi Dwarakanath Reddy) and Chittoor (MC Vijayananda Reddy) were finalised while TDP is yet to decide its in-charges.

The campaign is expected to reach its peak only when the two main parties finalise the names of contesting candidates which will end all the ambiguity. The next few days will be crucial for the aspiring candidates in both the parties.