YSRC in search of new faces in Anantapur and Satya Sai districts

Anantapur: The YSRC is said to be keen on changing candidates in several segments for the assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Anantapur and Satya Sai districts. The party would field “tough candidates,” a source said.

Several of the ruling party’s MLAs and MPs were involved in controversies and alleged corrupt practices. Many of these representatives faced dissidence from within the party cadres. In view of this, YSRC regional coordinator Peddireddy Ramachandra is keen on identifying new faces to contest the polls.

Sources said that, for these reasons, the party high command wanted to change MP candidates from Anantapur and Hindupur segments. After considering the equations, the party high command might introduce new candidates for MP seats.

Sitting MLA and former minister Shankara Narayana from Penukonda is considering a contest in the Lok Sabha polls this time from Hindupur as he is facing dissidence in the assembly segment. However, a new candidate is likely to be fielded to fight the TD candidate.

The sitting MP of Hindupur, Gorantla Madhav, was involved in a controversy that “tarnished” the image of the party a few months ago. He might not be allowed to contest a second time from the same Lok Sabha constituency. His close aides have begun seeking MLA tickets for them from Kurnool district.

Similarly, a senior leader and sitting MLA from Anantapur district was aiming to contest the LS polls from Anantapur as he may not be able to win an assembly seat this time. Sitting MP Talari Rangaiah is facing dissidence from minister Ushasri Charan in Kalyandurg.

Deepika was already put in charge of Hindupur assembly segment while the party kept aside MLC Md Iqbal. She could give a tough fight to film star and sitting MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna of TD, YSRC sources said.
After Peddireddy Ramachandra took matters seriously, the prospects for the party improved in Hindupur, say some YSRC leaders.

In the past, the YSRC high command had considered fielding members of some families in two seats, but such considerations will be less this time. This is likely to impact on the candidate selections in Dharmavaram and Tadipatri areas. Though the sitting MLA Venkatrami Reddy was representing Dharmavaram and his paternal uncle Pedda Reddy is Tadipatri MLA, chances are that the party would field Venkatrami from Tadipatri this time. The contest there would be tough in view of the candidature of the rival party’s JC Prabhakar Reddy.

ZP vice chairman Madhusudhan Reddy would be in the race for Dharmavaram assembly if the present representative is changed, the sources said.