Confusion prevails among TDP cadres as party is yet to announce candidate

Nellore : Inordinate delay in announcing the candidates list is causing confusion in Udayagiri among the TDP rank and file. It may recalled that recently YSR Congress Party nominated Mekapati Rajagopal Reddy as in-charge by replacing sitting MLA Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy for various reasons.

This led to Chandrasekhar Reddy joining the TDP without expecting ticket. His single point agenda is to ensure defeat of YSRCP candidate Rajagopal Reddy who happens to be his own brother.

After consulting Chandrasekhar Reddy, TDP high command is considering allotting ticket to party Udayagiri in-charge Bollineni Venkata Rama Rao.

He had defeated YSRCP candidate Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy with a slight majority of just 3,612 votes in 2014 elections and in 2019 elections, Bollineni was defeated by Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy by a huge margin of 36,528 votes.

As a strong loyalist to YSR family, Chandrasekhar Reddy was elected 3 times, twice on Congress ticket 2004 and 2009 and YSRCP in 2019. However, with the three parties TDP, JSP and BJP set to forge an alliance, a state of confusion prevails on the selection of candidate by the alliance.

Udayagiri is one constituency from where former Vice-President Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu got elected on Janata Party ticket by defeating Congress candidate Madala Janaki Ram with a majority of 9,660 votes in 1978, and also defeated Congress nominee Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy with a majority of 20,500 votes by contesting on BJP ticket in 1983 elections.

Now former Udayagiri MLA Kambham Vijayarami Reddy is also expecting a ticket from TDP.

Vijayarami Reddy got elected in 1994 as Independent candidate by defeating Congress nominee Madala Janakiram with a margin of 24,919 votes. Vijayarami Reddy defeated Congress candidate Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy by 4,775 votes in 1999 elections.