Dharmavaram for BJP, no decision yet on Anantapur

Dharmavaram (Sri Sathya Sai district) : As part of the grand alliance of TDP-BJP-JSP for the 2024 Assembly elections, Dharmavaram will, in all probability, go the BJP way. Perhaps, the two electoral partners of TDP, the BJP and JSP will get one seat each in the undivided district.

TDP is leaving Dharmavaram to BJP and Anantapur which JSP is demanding has remained undecided. Until Thursday, it was thought that JSP would get Anantapur but with the TDP Anantapur in-charge V Prabhakar Chowdary mounting pressure on the party leadership to retain the constituency with TDP, the issue has been kept in suspended animation.

BJP will be fielding Gonuguntla Suryanarayana alias Varadapuram Suri as its party candidate in Dharmavaram. Suryanarayana, ex-MLA of TDP, had quit the party after his defeat in 2019 elections. An A class civil contractor that he is, he executes infrastructure projects both in AP state and in the North Eastern states.

He has good name in the constituency as a good Samaritan reaching out to needy people. His own image plus the image of TDP-BJP would help him to easily win and will be a cakewalk for his victory.

Regarding Anantapur constituency, if the TDP retains it, ex-MLA Prabhakar Chowdary will be the natural choice but if TDP decides to leave the seat to Jana Sena, then T C Varun Kumar, the district party president will be nominated as the party candidate. Prabhakar Chowdary served as MLA during 2014-19. By early next week, the decision of TDP-JSP leadership will be made. Until then the suspense will continue.