Win in Nellore rural segment not a cakewalk for Kotamreddy

Nellore: Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy is going to face a tough situation this time in his strong bastion as local TDP activists are expressing their mixed response on his entry into the party, though officially not announced. In fact, Sridhar Reddy contested from the constituency on behalf of ruling YSR Congress in 2014 and 2019 polls winning over Abdul Aziz of TDP and Sannapureddy Suresh Reddy of BJP with a considerable majority. Sridhar Reddy, who normally maintains direct contact with voters and leaders in all villages, has a stronghold in the constituency.

Now, undisclosed reasons made him away from the ruling party and is likely to contest in next elections from the opposition. He already started interacting with the councilors in the city limits for collecting their feedback on shifting of loyalties to the opposition and also invited leaders from all important villages in rural constituency where he is having stronghold.

Interestingly, Telugu Desam cadres in many villages expressing their disappointment and discouragement with likely entry of Sridhar Reddy as he used to suppress them as ruling party legislator and they don't want to support him.

Telugu Desam is also having significant cadre in the constituency where TDP candidate Abdul Aziz polled 64,948 (39.10 pc of votes out of 1,58,406) in 2019 elections, who was roped in a hurry after Adala Prabhakar Reddy exiting the TDP.

"We have been facing severe problems with Sridhar Reddy and how we extend support to him this time? We keep quiet in case the party forcibly makes him the party candidate. Ruling party leaders harassed us like anything and we want to support neither ruling party candidate nor our own party candidate," said a senior leader from South Mopur. Similar opinion is expressed by a left party leader from Allipuram. They said the party has to collect the feedback of cadre before announcing the candidate. Further, there is no guarantee that ruling party voters may support him after quitting the party.