YSR Congress list: Homework well done

The selection of the candidates in any election is crucial. If good candidates can win elections, the YSRCP should get good number of seats. The list of candidates released by YSRCP president YS Jaganmohan Reddy (YSJ) can be described as a result of a very careful scrutiny and clever strategy. Caste has become the core consideration for selection of the candidates. Chandrababu Naidu, chief of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is acknowledged as an expert in weighing the caste equations at the time of selecting the candidates. YSJ has proved to be equally well versed, if not better, in this area. Fielding YS Vijayalakshmi, YSJ’s mother, from Vizag and not nominating Sharmila from any constituency are two well thought-out decisions. Vijayamma’s presence in Vizag would galvanise the cadres in North Coastal Andhra while Sharmila would be free to campaign wherever necessary.

More than 40 MLAs who joined the YSRCP from other parties before the election schedule was announced were given tickets. Eight of the MLAs who came after the announcement of the schedule were not accommodated. YSJ appears to have put a lot of faith in the abilities of political families to win elections. Besides himself, his mother and maternal uncle Ravindranatha Reddy and cousin Avinash Reddy, two other close relatives, Subba Reddy and Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, were given tickets.

Bhumas (Nagireddy, Shobha, S V Mohan Reddy), Mekapatis (Rajamohan, Chandrasekhar and Gautam), Peddireddys (Ramachandra Reddy and son), Allas (Ayodhya Rami Reddy and his brother), Dharmanas ( Prasada Rao and brother), Bobbili Rajas (Ranga Rao and his brother) families have got more than one ticket. Y Balanagireddy and two of his brothers were accommodated in the list. YSJ cannot criticise Congress president Sonia Gandhi of trying to foist her son on the country as PM or perpetuating dynastic rule.

But the YSRCP can boast of more women candidates in Lok Sabha elections than any other party. Though the complete list of the TDP candidates for LS is yet to be announced, the YSRCP can be expected to stand head and shoulders above other parties in this aspect. It has fielded five women out of 24 LS candidates. Besides Vijayalakshmi (Vizag), Reddi Shanti (Srikakulam), Samanya Kiran (Chittoor), Butta Renuka (Kurnool) and Kothapalli Geetha (Araku) will be fighting to get into lower house of parliament. Among the 170 Assembly candidates announced so far, 13 are women.

Reddys got the major chunk of the cake with 52 of the 170 Assembly candidates followed by 30 Kapus -Kapu-OC (24), Balija (2), Turpu Kapu( 3) and BC Balija (1). The third position is occupied by Kammas (13) followed by Koppula Velamas (8), Yadavas(6), Kalingas (4), Gowdas(4), Muslims (4) fishermen community (3), OC Velamas (2), Kshatriyas (2), Kurumas (2), Padmashali (1) and Vysya (1). The SCs and STs got ticket according to their reservations of 27 and 7 Assembly seats. When it comes to LS seats, Reddys are dominating with 9 seats followed by Kapus (5), SCs (3), Kammas (2), ST (1), Padmashali (1), Turpu Kapu-BC (1), Yadava (1) and OC Velama (1). Not a single Brahmin is fielded either for Lok Sabha or Assembly so far. Almost 50 per cent of the seats in Godavari districts were allocated to Kapus. The overall division is: There are 94 OCs, 38 BCs, 27 SCs, 7 STs and 4 Muslims among the candidates contesting for Assembly.

A candidate who is capable of causing an upset is Navin Nischal who was fielded from Hindupur Assembly constituency in Anantapur district to face film actor Balakrishna. Navin lost in 2009 elections as an independent by 200 votes. He was denied the Congress ticket forcing him to contest as independent. He is expected to give tough fight to Balakrishna. Naturally, there is little scope for rebellion by aspirants of YSRCP.