Vijayawada: Dissent unstoppable

Vijayawada : Even as the ruling YSR Congress is busy finalising the fifth list of candidates, which may be released either on Thursday or Friday, dissensions continue to be brewing within the party.

Many of the supporters of present MLAs and MPs have been meeting party coordinators like Vijayasai Reddy and Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and conveying them that if the incumbent candidates were not given party tickets they will not cooperate or work for them during the polls.

The YSRCP had denied ticket to Narasaraopet siting MP Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu and shifted him to Guntur. Unhappy with the decision of the party, he quit the YSRCP and joined the TDP. Palanadu region MLAs had urged the party high command not to change the constituency of Srikrishna Devarayulu. But the YSRCP leadership had decided to field a BC candidate from Narasaraopet.

Similarly, Kurnool MP Dr Sanjeev Kumar and Machilipatnam MP Balasowri have already resigned from the YSRCP. Earlier, Rayadurgam MLA Kapu Ramachandra Reddy resigned and stated that either he and his wife would contest from Kalyandurgam and Rayadurgam constituencies even as Independents. Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy also resigned from the party and has joined the Congress. He is likely to contest as the Congress candidate from Mangalagiri.

It is learnt that Minister Gummanuru Jayaram is also not happy as the party wants him to contest from the Kurnool parliamentary constituency and has named ZPTC member Virupakshi as the candidate for the Kurnool Assembly. Meanwhile, Nandikotkur sitting MLA Arthur and Tiruvur MLA Rakshana Nidhi also expressing ire over the YRCP leadership for denying tickets to them. Others who are unhappy with the ruling party are sitting MLA Sudhakar Babu, Repalle MLA Mopidevi Venkataramana, Kanigiri MLA Madhusudhana Yadav, Darsi MLA Venugopal who were denied tickets. Even Minister Gudivada Amarnath is also peeved over the possibility of shifting him to another constituency.

However, it is learnt that the party is laying special focus on the Narasapuram Lok Sabha seat and may field a BC candidate against Raghurama Krishnam Raju who had quit the party and joined the TDP-Jana Sena combine. The YSRCP is likely to zero in on a Kapu candidate for the Kakinada and Machilipatnam Lok Sabha seats, SC for Amalapuram LS and Yadav candidate for Narsaraopet.