Tough competition between TDP, YSRCP

Kadapa: The MLC elections which are proposed to be held in March has turned a proxy war between Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Leader of Opposition YS Jagan Mohan Reddy with both parties moving heaven and earth for securing victory at any cost. MLC elections would be held for Local Body Constituency, Graduate, and Teachers constituency in the district.

The ruling TDP which seems to have been suffering from severe dissidence problem within the party over finalising the candidature of Ravindra Nath Reddy popularly known as B. Tech Ravi for local body MLC elections.

YSRCP has inducted YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s uncle and former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy in the fray as the candidate for Local Body Constituency MLC elections. Both TDP and YSRCP intensified the election campaign four months before publication of notification.

As part of this efforts Naidu has accepted the proposal of Congress MLC Batyala Chengal Rayadu joining TDP without a second thought to alter the political equations in Kadapa district.

It is learnt that during the series of meetings Chengal Rayudu specified to the party leadership that he will manage to bring at least 25 MPTCs and some ZPTCs to the party at the time of his joining giving big relief to the TDP leadership.

It may be recalled that YSR Congress party has secured as many as 526 MPTCs, while TDP got 319, and remaining 200 were elected with Congress, CPM, CPI, BJP symbols.

Related to the ZPTCs, 39 were elected under banner of YSR Congress out of 50 while Congress was confined to 11 seats. With the same spirit, YSR Congress was able to secure nine MLA seats and two MP seats, as the ruling TDP was confined to just only one Rajampet Assembly segment with Mada Mallikarjuna Reddy winning the election in 2014.

However TDP has managed to woo the Jammalamadugu MLA Deva Gudi Audinarayana Reddy, his brother MLC D Narayana Reddy and Badwel MLA Jaya Ramulu who were elected with YSRCP ticket in the 2014 elections.