Jagan names Duvvada Srinivas for Tekkali polls

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said MLC from Tekkali, Duvvada Srinivas, would be the MLA candidate from Tekkali Assembly constituency in the next elections.

Srinivas was present at the Mulepaeta Port’s stone-laying ceremony in Srikakulam district on Wednesday.

“You all know Srinvias. There should be no confusion. Confusion will harm the prospects of election results. I am putting  Srinivas in your hands. Please bless him,’’ the Chief Minister told the large crowd.

The Chief Minister said it was on a request of Duvvada Srinivas that the government had sanctioned Rs 70 crore for implementing the projects that will supply drinking water to 94 villages in Tekkali constituency.

Duvvada Srinivas would take on TD giant Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, who defeated YSRC candidate Perada Tilak in the 2019 elections. Tilak remained as the constituency coordinator after the elections. Srinivas himself had lost to Kinjarapu Ram Manohar Naidu for the Srikakulam Lok Sabha seat by a narrow margin.

“Both Srinivas and Tilak lost when the Jagan Mohan Reddy wave was sweeping the state on the eve of the 2019 elections,’’ noted a local TD leader from Srikakulam, and he added:

“Atchennaidu grew in stature and Srinivas was no match for him. Moreover, Tilak would withdraw his support to Srinivas after his ouster. On the other hand, Srinivas has strained his relationship with former Union minister Killi Kriparani and state revenue minister Dharmana Prasada, which will make it easy for Atchannaidu to defeat his rival.”