TD men project redBus co-founder as candidate

Anantapur: Despite Whip and Rajampet MLA Meda Mallikarjuna Reddy ruling out possibilities of quitting the Telugu Desam, a group of district leaders, on Monday,  have begun preparations to pick a new candidate for Rajampet Assembly segment in Kadapa district.  

Mr Mallikarjuna Reddy has differences with minister Adinarayana Reddy for not inviting him to a meeting organised in his constituency.

Sources said redBus co-founder Charan Padmaraju, a native of Rajampeta, was brought on to the scene by a group of TD leaders.  

Though two leaders within the party are already in the race, the TD district leaders reportedly are encouraging Mr Charan Raju to take a plunge into politics. On Monday, a group of Charanraju’s family members met marketing minister Adinarayana Reddy and expressed their willingness to encourage Mr Raju to contest from Rajampet, if the TD high command offered a ticket.

Though Mr Mallikarjuna Reddy had blamed the minister for ‘disturbing the TD cadre’ in Rajampet, the MLA made it clear that he would stick to the party and that he would meet party national president and Chief Minister  N. Chandra-babu Naidu and brief him about the meeting organised by the minister, a couple of days ago, to which he was not invited.

A group of Telugu Desam leaders, led by the minister,  reportedly held discussion with the Raju’s family  on his foray into politics.

However, close aides of Mr Mallikarjuna Reddy have been mounting pressure on their leader to take steps to check the onslaught of the minister and his supporters in Rajampeta.

Meanwhile, the YSRC has began announcing candidates for various Assembly segments in the region.  It had announced candidates for Jammalamadugu and two more segments in Kadapa district.

Party in-charge of Anantapur district and former MP Mithun Reddy announced Dr Sidda Reddy as the YSRC candidate for Kadiri Assembly segment on Monday. Mr Mithun Reddy will finalise the names of more candiddates for the upcoming polls.