Jagan Leads Party Without Much Revolt Despite Refusal of Tickets and Change of Constituencies

The opposition Telugu Desam, Jana Sena and BJP are facing dissent and revolt within their parties after announcing their lists. This is giving the YSRC the upper hand in the mega election campaigns.

Jagan Reddy announced names for all the 175 assembly and 24 names for the 25 Lok Sabha seats. He held back the candidate’s name for the Anakapalli LS seat.

The TD released three lists and Jana Sena one list officially and gave clearance to several more names. The BJP is yet to announce its list of candidates. The TD, JS and BJP formed the alliance under NDA and are contesting the 2024 elections in AP. But, despite putting all efforts for reconciliation, the dissidence in TD and JS continues. Every day, BJP leaders are expressing their anguish over the grabbing of winnable seats in the TD and offering weak seats to the saffron party.

Jagan Reddy reoffered YSRC tickets to 91 sitting legislators to enable them re-contest from their respective constituencies. He denied tickets to sitting MLAs Chetty Palguna (Araku), Kondeti Chittibabu (P Gannavaram), Unnamatla Eliza (Chinthalapudi), Rakshananidhi (Tiruvuru), TJR Sudhakar Rbabu (Santhanuthalapadu), T Arthur (Nandikotkuru), Sudhakar (Kodumuru), Jonnalagadda Padmavathi (Singanamala), M Thippe Swamy (Madakasira), Vara Prasad (Guduru), MS Babu (Poothalapattu), Tippala Nagireddy (Gajuwaka), Nawaz Basha (Madanapalle), Hafeez Khan (Kurnool), Pendem Dorababu (Pithapuram), Jyotula Chantibabu (Jaggampeta), Maddisetty Venugopal (Darsi) and Malladi Vishnu (Vijayawada central).

The chief minister refused to give tickets to sitting MLAs Alla Ramakrishna Reddy (Mangalagiri), Chennakesava Reddy (Emmiganur), Manugunta Mahidar Reddy (Kandukuru), PV Siddha Reddy (Kadiri), Meda Mallikarjuna Reddy (Rajampet), Parvata Purnachandra Prasad (Prattipadu) and K. Bhagya Lakshmi (Paderu).

Jagan Reddy transferred 15 MLAs to other constituencies. Gudivada Amaranath was shifted from Anakapalli to Gajuwaka, Kambala Jogulu from Rajam to Payakarao Peta, Taneti Vanita from Kovvuru to Gopalapuram, Talari Venkata Rao from Gopalapuram to Kovvuru, Chelloboina Venugopalakrishna from Ramachandrapuram to Rajamahendravaram Rural, Jogi Ramesh from Pedana to Penamaluru, Velampalli Srinivasa Rao from Vijayawada West to Vijayawada Central, Mekatoti Sucharita from Prathipadu to Tadikonda, Vidadala Rajini form Chilakaluripet to Guntur West, Meruga Nagarjuna from Vemuru to Santanutalapadu, Kunduru Nagarjuna Reddy from Marakupuram to Giddalur and Anna Rambapu from Giddalur to Markapuram.

Minister Adimulapu Suresh was shifted from Santanuthalapadu, from Yarragondapalem to Kondepi, Burra Madhusudan Yadav from Kanigiri to Kandukuru and KV Usha Sricharan from Kalyanadurgam to Penukonda. Ponnur MLA Kilaru Roshaiah was shifted as Guntur MP candidate, Nellore City MLA Anil Kumar Yadav is fielded from Narasaraopet Lok Sabha seat and Penukonda MLA Shanaranarayana has been named as the candidate for the Anantapur Lok Sabha constituency. Payakaraopet MLA Golla Babu Rao was sent to Rajya Sabha.

Chandrababu Naidu appealed to dissident leaders to cooperate with the party leadership during the elections and promised to suitably reward those who missed the bus, after TD returns to power.

Political analysts feel that Jagan Reddy successfully managed dissidence among the legislators despite changing 81 candidates and denying tickets to some. Both Naidu and Pawan Kalyan as chiefs of TD and JS continue facing dissent due to their refusal to grant tickets to some of the aspirants in their respective parties. They might revolt against party candidates.