Protests over YSRC fielding non-locals as candidates

Anantapur: The Kadiri constituency politics witnessed an interesting twist as sitting MLA Sidda Reddy, who was reportedly denied ticket by the YSRC, took out a rally to prove his strength in the segment on Monday.
 
The YSRC high command had informed Sidda Reddy about a plan to field a minority candidate from Kadiri. A non-local and travel firm owner from Bengaluru was hinted as the party candidate.

In the past three days, YSRC cadres as also elected representatives – MPPs, municipal councillors, Sarpanches – and the Kadiri Narasimha Swamy temple committee have resigned in protest and pressed the leadership to field Sidda Reddy as its assembly candidate. Protests against the party decision were witnessed from all parts of the segment.

MLA Sidda Reddy took part in the Praja Maddathu Rally in Kadiri town on Monday. Holding the party flag, he took out a rally from Clock Tower towards the YSR statue. He offered garlands and paid tributes at the YSR statue along with crowds of YSRC cadres and supporters from across the Kadiri assembly segment.
 
Later, the MLA offered a Palabhishekam to the portrait of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.

YSRC cadres and leaders, who were part of the Praja Maddathu rally, expressed their support to the sitting MLA and demanded that the party change the idea of fielding a non-local as its candidate from Kadiri.

Similarly, in the Madakasira assembly segment, the YSRC cadres -- MPPs, sarpanchs, municipal councillors and municipal chairperson -- tendered their resignations in protest against the party high command trying to field a non- local instead of sitting MLA M Thippeswamy there.
 
The local leaders including ticket aspirants sent an ultimatum to the party high command about their decision not to support any non-local candidate.

Protests continued from the Penukonda assembly segment where the sitting minister Ushasri Charan’s name was finalised by the party for the upcoming poll contest, by replacing sitting MLA M Shankara Narayana. YSRC cadres from Penukonda informed the high command that they would not support the non-local candidate.