TDP stares at rebel trouble in Uravakonda

Uravakonda (Anantapur): Senior TDP leader and chairman of S R Constructions, which is executing multiple irrigation projects and road projects, Amilineni Surendra Babu, is upset with the party high command removing his name as the nominee of Kalyandurgam Assembly constituency and replacing him with M Umamaheshwar Naidu, a follower of MLC Payyavula Keshav and supported by MP J C Diwakar Reddy.

Surendra Babu is quite popular in the district in all constituencies and has considerable followers throughout the district. He has stakes in many of the government development projects and has provided employment to many including hundreds of construction workers.

Family members of Surendra Babu maintain that it was Chief Minister Naidu who had offered him the Kalyandurgam seat when he pressed for Anantapur Assembly seat.

After offering him the seat and even declaring his candidature, suddenly his candidature was changed and Umamaheshwar supported reportedly by both the MP and MLC was declared as the candidate for Kalyandurgam.

Family sources say that the TDP high command disappointed Surendra in 2009, 2014 and in 2019 for the third time. Pained at the treatment meted out to him, he is now thinking in terms of entering into the Uravakonda electoral fray as an Independent unless the high command reconsiders its decision and nominates him for Kalyandurgam. He wants to contest from Uravakonda to spoil the winning chances of Payyavula Keshav.

Agitated supporters of Surendra Babu are pressing him to contest as an Independent. Family sources revealed that the YSRCP has sent feelers to Surendra offering him the seat of his choice, should he join the YSRCP.

However Surendra Babu has not responded to the feelers as he believed in principles and moral politics. Sources say that Surendra has kept his options open as still there are 5 days left for withdrawal of nominations. Surendra is likely to file nomination papers on Thursday as an Independent in Uravakonda.