Telugu Desam gives the final touches to list

Nellore: Telugu Desam seems to have almost finalised its ‘list of candidates’ to contest the 2014 elections on the party ticket from Nellore district.

According to party sources, the exercise of candidates’ selection has been almost completed as far as the Nellore unit is concerned. It is learnt that TD supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu recently held a closed door meet with important leaders and a ‘very few’ from Nellore at the state capital during the last three days and gave the final touches to the list.

With the elections fast approaching, the party for which the ensuing general elections are considered crucial for its very survival, the TD unlike before wants to complete the prepoll formalities much ahead. As such, the party is learnt to have zeroed in on ‘big pocket’ leaders, with elections are just a few months away.

Nellore is one of those important districts which the TD wants to perform much better than the 2009 elections. Of the 10 Assembly segments and one Parliament segment, the TD wants to bag the most to get back to power in 2014.

It is also learnt that the senior TD leader from the district Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy seems to have had his way in the selection of a few candidates, close to him, especially for the constituencies of Atmakur and Kovur.

In all likelihood, TD is to field its sitting MLAs from Kavali, Venkatagiri, Sullurpeta and Gudur constituencies, fielding Beeda Masthan Rao, Kurugondla Ramakrishna, Dr. Parasa Venkata Ratnam and B. Durga Prasad Rao respectively.

From Udayagiri, TD is learnt to give ticket to Bollineni Rama Rao, who unsuccessfully contested but gave a tough fight in the by-elections. The party is looking to Gooturu Kannababu, the constituency in-charge of Atmakur segment to get the party elected in the constituency in 2014.

Industrialist Pellakur Srinivasulu Reddy is likely to be fielded by the TD for the Kovur Assembly segment with great faith that the financial soundness of the industrialist will ensure an added advantage to the party.

The TD is learnt to be in the final stages in zeroing in on the probable candidates for Nellore city and rural and Surveypalli constituencies. Looking the way the TD is “choosing” its candidates, looks like the 2014 general elections battle is going to be a “costly” affair.