TDP likely to field Karanam Balaram for Ongole LS

Ongole: After Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy confessed that he cannot contest for the Ongole Lok Sabha constituency on TDP ticket, the party president N Chandrababu Naidu is exploring all options to win the seat at any cost.

The TDP is still uncertain about the candidates to contest in four assembly constituencies in Prakasam district, Chirala, Yerragondapalem, Kanigiri, and Darsi. It has finalised the Santhanuthalapadu ticket to BN Vinay Kumar on Monday evening amidst the negotiations to persuade Sidda Raghavarao to leave Darsi Assembly seat and contest for Ongole Parliamentary segment.

On Monday, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy announced that he would take a decision on his political future after consulting with Magunta family members, fans and supporters. He is likely to join YSRCP on Tuesday at its 9th Foundation Day celebrations and announce that he is contesting for Ongole Lok Sabha segment. By afternoon, Sidda Raghavarao's camp office is flooded by hundreds of supporters from Darsi constituency. Raghavarao claimed that the party chief Chandrababu Naidu asked him to contest for Ongole parliamentary seat on TDP ticket.

He said that he neither accepted the proposal nor denied it but asked time to discuss with the family and followers. The TDP district president Damacharla Janardhana Rao visited Raghavarao and discussed the party offer and tried to convince him. Meanwhile, the supporters of former minister proposed district president to allow Ongole Lok Sabha seat to the wife of Raghavarao but retain his Darsi Assembly seat.

Without getting clarity on the Ongole Lok Sabha candidature, Sidda Raghavarao moved ahead to election campaign from Darsi in the evening. Taking it as no from Raghavarao for its proposal, the party is now eyeing Karanam Balarama Krishnamurthy for the Ongole MP. After the Chirala MLA Amanchi Krishnamohan joining YSRCP, the TDP announced that it will field a person who can give him a tit for tat. The party high command sent feelers that Karanam Balaram is the right candidate for TDP against Amanchi and tried to convince the local leaders like Paleti Ramarao and MLC Pothula Suneetha.

Now, the TDP is considering the former MP Karanam Balaram to contest again from Ongole. If he agrees to contest, former Chirala MLA Paleti Ramarao will be chosen as the candidate as Suneetha is MLC now. For Kanigiri, the recently joined Mukku Ugra Narasimha Reddy and sitting MLA Kadiri Baburao is competing for the ticket but the party is in favour of newcomer.

Similarly, at Yerragindapalem, the sitting MLA is said to be facing anti-incumbency and the party is considering Ajita Rao for the seat. The sources in the TDP leadership said that clarity on the assembly and parliamentary seats in Prakasam district will come by Wednesday evening.