Close contest between TDP, YSRCP in Kadiri
Kadiri (Anantapur): Kadiri Assembly segment with a population of 2.11 lakh voters has 44 per cent Muslim voters. Its sitting MLA Chand Basha, a Muslim was elected on YSRCP ticket, who later defected into the TDP. In 2014 Assembly elections, Chand Basha won by a margin of 1,000 votes over his nearest TDP rival K Venkata Prasad.
In the forthcoming Assembly elections in 2019, Chand Basha, who defected into TDP from YSRCP is likely to be nominated as the TDP candidate in 2019. The YSRCP party has declared Pedaballi Venkata Sidda Reddy, who is the Kadiri Assembly segment convenor as its official candidate for the 2019 polls. He had worked alongside Chand Basha in 2014 polls.
The BJP has several candidates eyeing for Kadiri seat. Vishnuvardhan Reddy, Parthasarathi, Uttam Reddy, Gangadhar and Nagendra but of the candidates, Vishnuvardhan is likely to be the choice of the BJP state leadership. Couple of days back, YSRCP in-charge of Anantapur district Peddireddy Mithun Reddy had declared Pedaballi as its party candidate in Kadiri. He was an active leader in erstwhile Praja Rajyam Party.
He contested on behalf of PRP in 2009 in Kadiri and polled 18,000 votes. Of course, the Congress party which totally eclipsed after State bifurcation is searching for candidates in the district including Kadiri constituency.
So, the fight will basically be between YSRCP and TDP in the forthcoming polls. One interesting part of the coming election is Chand Basha and his close lieutenant Sidda Reddy will be fighting each other. Chand Basha may have an edge over his new rival as he belongs to the Muslim community, who are 40 per cent of the voter population.
Chand Basha told his voters after his defection into TDP that he was shifting loyalties just to safeguard their interests and being in opposite camp meant rubbing shoulders with the ruling party on the wrong side. While it is premature to come to any conclusions, the mainline parties have almost decided on their candidates in Kadiri segment.