Tough fight between TDP, YSRCP in Kadapa

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 Jaganmohan Reddy with both parties moving heaven and earth for securing victory at any cost.

MLC elections would be held for Local Body, Graduate, and Teachers constituencies in the district.

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

The YSRCP has inducted YS Jaganmohan 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 have intensified the election campaign four months before publication of notification. As part of his efforts, Chandrababu has accepted the proposal of Congress MLC B Chengalrayadu joining the TDP without a second thought to alter the political equations in Kadapa district.

It is learnt that during the series of meetings with Chengalrayudu and district TDP leaders, Chandrababu told them that the MLC 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 YSRCP 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 YSRCP out of 50 while Congress was confined to 11 seats. With the same spirit, the YSRCP was able to secure nine MLA seats and two MP seats, as the ruling TDP was confined to just only one Rajampet Assembly segment in 2014.

However, the TDP has managed to woo the Jammalamadugu MLA Devagudi Adinarayana Reddy, his brother MLC D Narayana Reddy and Badvel MLA
Jayaramulu, who were elected on YSRCP ticket in the 2014 elections.