From TDP to Jana Sena: Elumalai secures Puttur chairman ticket

Tirupati: Political allegiance took a back seat to electoral calculations in Puttur, where former TDP leader DN Elumalai, popularly known as Ammulu, joined Jana Sena on Saturday after the municipal chairman seat was allotted to the alliance partner.

Elumalai, who was a key leader in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) until Friday, had hoped to contest for the Puttur municipal chairman post on the party’s ticket.

However, as part of the alliance seat-sharing arrangement, the chairman seat was allotted to Jana Sena, prompting him to switch parties.

The development unfolded quickly. Elumalai reportedly contacted senior Jana Sena leaders on Friday night, and discussions over his entry into the party and candidature were completed soon afterwards.

On Saturday morning, Tirupati MLA Arani Srinivasulu welcomed him into Jana Sena by presenting the party scarf and handed him the official B-form to contest the election.

The move has caused confusion among TDP leaders and workers in Puttur. Elumalai had joined TDP from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) before the 2024 elections after differences with former minister RK Roja.

His decision to join Jana Sena and secure the chairman ticket has not gone down well with some local TDP workers, who are reluctant to support him.

However, with the parties contesting the municipal elections as alliance partners, TDP cadres are expected to work for the victory of the Jana Sena candidate. This has put local party workers in a difficult position, forcing them to balance their personal reservations with the alliance’s electoral interests. Elumalai belongs to the Mudaliyar community, which has a significant presence in Puttur. He is considered influential among members of the community and has been active in local politics for several years.

Coming from a political family, Elumalai played an important role as an associate of former minister N Chenga Reddy. He served as Puttur sarpanch and later as Mandal Parishad president for two-and-a-half years. After Puttur became a municipality, he was elected as a councillor on an AIADMK ticket in 2005. In 2014, he served as a councillor representing the YSRCP.

With Jana Sena announcing Elumalai as its candidate, the focus has now shifted to whether the alliance can overcome internal differences and secure the support of TDP workers in Puttur. TDP MLA from Nagari Gali Bhanu Prakash is working to address the concerns of party cadres and prepare them for the

municipal election.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pradeep Vennelakanti

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