Nominations conclude amid high drama

• Kiran Kumar Reddy opts out of race, fields brother Kishore Kumar
• TDP gives B-forms to 3 candidates for Araku; all three file papers
• Proddatur TDP leader Lingareddy protests before Naidu, pacified
• Mangalagiri TDP nominee detained by party workers for sometime
• BJP Seemandhra unit makes as many as four changes at the eleventh hour
• Purandeswari, Botcha, Anam, TGV, Sailajanath, KE submit file papers
• Actress Hema in fray on behalf of Jai Samaikyandhra in Mandapeta

Hyderabad: The last day of nominations in Seemandhra saw a high drama with many interesting developments. Almost all prominent personalities belonging to all parties filed their nominations.

Former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who said that he would seek re-election from Pileru, decided against it at the eleventh hour and withdraw from the contest. He instead made his brother N Kishore Kumar Reddy file the nomination. Later, he told media that his decision should not be construed as running away from the battle field. Analysts, however, say that Kiran, who is sure to win from the constituency, has made a strategic move since he does not want to be the lone candidate representing his party in the Assembly.

Former minister S Sailajanath’s efforts to file nomination as the TDP candidate for the Singanamala Assembly seat failed. As rumours made the rounds that he submitted his nomination form on behalf of TDP, there was commotion at the camp of Yaminibala (TDP), the daughter of MLC Samantakamani, who filed the nomination as the TDP candidate. However, Sailjanath later clarified that he was contesting as the Congress candidate only.

Amid high drama, three Telugu Desam candidates filed their nominations for the Araku Assembly seat –all were given B forms. Among them was Kumba Ravibabu, who failed to secure the YSRCP ticket. He lost to TDP nominee Siveri Soma in 2009. Soma, along with another aspirant Pongi Rajarao, TDP district rural wing president, submitted the papers after taking out rallies with thousands of followers. There was heavy police security, as three nominees of the same party were to file their papers. After both Ravibabu and Rajarao submitted their nominations in the afternoon, the party issued the B form to Soma. Rajarao was also given B form three days back.

Proddatur sitting member Linga Reddy, along with his wife, protested before the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for allotting the ticket to Varadarajulu Reddy. Naidu pacified them and assured to do justice. TDP activists not only resorted to detention of the ticket holder for the Mangalagiri Assembly seat, G Chiranjeevi, but also assaulted him. He was rescued by the police and he filed the papers.

BJP Seemandhra unit has made as many as four changes barely hours before the deadline for the nominations. It has changed the candidates in Tadepalligudem, Santanutalapadu (SC), Kodumuru (SC) and Guntakal. Former Union Minister D Purandeswari, accompanied by her spouse Daggubati Venkateswar Rao, brothers Jayashankar Krishna, Jayakrishna and BJP senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu, finally submitted her papers for Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency in Kadapa district.

Former APCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana filed his papers for Chipurupalli Assembly seat in Vizianagaram district. Later, he addressed a massive public meeting where he said that he should be given another chance if people believed that he had not committed any fraud during the last 10 years.

Sitting MLA from Atmakur, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, accompanied by his son Subhakar Reddy, submitted his nomination. Another former minister from Nellore district, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy (TDP), filed his papers for the Sarvepalli Assembly seat. Actress Hema filed her papers as the Jai Samaikyandhra Party candidate for Mandapeta Assembly seat (East Godavari district). Amalapuram MP GV Harsha Kumar was among those who accompanied her.

Former ministers K E Kishnamurthy (TDP, Pathikonda) and T G Venkatesh (TDP, Kurnool), YSRCP spokesman Ambati Rambabu (Sathenapalli, Guntur) and Dr Babji (Independent TDP rebel, Palakole) were among those who submitted their papers.