TD\'s plans for ties with Jana Sena upset ticket aspirants

 ANANTAPUR: Several leaders, including former ministers from the Congress and other parties, in the Rayalaseema region are in a state of confusion over their plans to join the Telugu Desam and get tickets to fight the next polls.

Amid indications of an alliance between the TD and Jana Sena, the aspirants for TD tickets are reassessing the scenario as to how this would have a bearing on their individual interests.

At least two former ministers and four more former MLAs from the Congress and several other constituency-level leaders were looking for alternative options to boost their political future.

A former Congress minister, who holds a top party post, reportedly made serious efforts to join the TD expecting an MLA ticket while the TD leaders in the segment, from Anantapur district, resisted this and gave an ultimatum to the TD high command.

A similar situation exists for another leader in the district. They had no chance to contest from the YSRC and depended purely on TD.

Former minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy from the YSR district was initially with the Congress but joined the YSRC during the last general polls. However, he has been away from YSRC party activities, criticising Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and praising TD chief Chandrababu Naidu for the past few months.

Sources said he was planning to join the TD and expecting a ticket from Mydukur Assembly segment either for him or any of his family members. However, TD incharge Putta Sudhakar Yadav was firm on his candidature for the Assembly segment.

Interestingly, the TD leaders who were in the fray including those who planned to join the TD fell into a state of confusion after clear indications of it forging an alliance with Jana Sena.

The Jana Sena, unlike previous polls, wanted to make a mark in a majority of the constituencies in the next polls. The party was reportedly keen on contesting the polls in the Kapu-dominated segments.

For instance, speculation was rife over TD giving the Anantapur Urban Assembly and Tirupati Assembly seats to the Jana Sena for contest, as also several other segments in the Rayalaseema region. The TD leaders are, as a result, worried about their political future if several seats are allocated to the Jana Sena as per the new alliance plans.

Sources said the leaders from other parties seeking to join the TD were waiting for a confirmation of assurance from the party high command. Now they are less confident about their future prospects.