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Kovuru set for Vemireddy Vs Nallapureddy battle
- TDP is fielding Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy as its candidate, the first woman candidate by any party in the last 15 years
- Party zeros in on Prashanthi as it considered her a suitable candidate to defeat well-entrenched Nallapureddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy
Nellore: In an interesting development, TDP finalised Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy, wife of Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy as Kovuru Assembly constituency candidate in its second list announced on Thursday.
According to sources, the party earlier contemplated candidature of TDP sitting MLA Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy, but in the last-minute party president N Chandrababu Naidu zeroed in on Prasanthi Reddy with an intention of loosening four-decade-old grip of Nallapureddy family on Kovuru constituency.
This will be the first time a main political party is fielding a woman candidate from Kovuru Assembly seat in recent times after Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) fielded one Tupakula Munemma of Kota mandal belonging to Schedule Tribes in 2009 elections.
Feeling neglected in YSRCP, Prabhakar Reddy, who was instrumental in ensuring victory of party candiw dates in the last elections, joined TDP along with wife earlier this month in Nellore.
Sources said he reported sought Kovuru seat for his wife from TDP at the time of joining the party.
While Prabhakar Reddy has been given Nellore Lok Sabha ticket to take on YSRCP senior leader V Vijayasai Reddy, his wife is now allotted Kovuru ticket.
TDP considered Vemireddy couple are the suitable candidate to face the financial heft of Vijayasai in Nellore an Nallapureddy Prasannakumar Reddy in Kovuru.
Before the party confirmed Prashanthi as Kovuru candidate, Prabhakar Reddy reportedly held discussions with important leaders in the constituency, including former TDP MLA Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy and to ensure their cooperation.
Nallapureddy Srinivasulu Reddy was elected from Kovuru as an indipendent candidate in 1983 elections while on Congress banner in 1989 elections. After his death, his son Prasannakumar Reddy won a total of six times, including in two byelections since 1992.
Apart from four times in 1992 (byelections), 1994, 1999, 2009 on TDP ticket, he got elected two times on YSRCP ticket in 2012 (byelections) and 2019 elections.
Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy had won twice from the seat, once against Nallapureddy Prasananna Kumar Reddy in 2004 on Congress ticket and in 2014 as TDP nomnee.
However, this time Kovuru is set to witness a formidable battle between two politically and financially strong clans.
The constituency has Kovuru, Kodavaluru, Vidavaluru, Indukurupet and Butchireddy Palem under its limits with 2,64, 269 voters, as per 2019 electoral rolls.
