YSRC plans to change MLA candidates in north Andhra

Visakhapatnam: The ruling YSRC is planning a major reshuffle of constituency coordinators in the run-up to the general elections. Fifteen coordinators are being replaced in Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and ASR districts, party sources say.

Two changes have been made during the last two months. Vizag Lok Sabha member was made coordinator of Visakhapatnam East, replacing Akkaramani Vijayanirmala who lost to TD leader Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu. Babu won for the third time in a row.

Similarly, Tippala Nagi Reddy was replaced by Yadava leader Vurukuti Ramachandra Rao.

Among the top leaders, industries and IT minister Guduivada Amarnath is being shifted to Anakapalli Lok Sabha constituency or Pendurthi. Malasala Bharat will be the new coordinator for Anakapalli assembly segment.

The sitting MLA of Pendurthi, A Adeep Raj, may not be given a slot immediately.
Focusing mostly on Visakhapatnam city, where the party had lost all the four constituencies in 2019, the YSRC is doubly alert this time.

After changing East and Gajuwaka, the party leadership is planning to change Visakhapatnam South where fisheries corporation chairman Kola Guruvulu will be the new coordinator.

Guruvulu lost the polls in the 2014 elections and was denied ticket at the last minute in the 2019 election in favour of Dronamraju Srinivas.

For Visakhapatnam West constituency, the party is likely to name deputy mayor Jiyyani Sridhar in place of Adari Anand. KK Raju is being changed in Visakhapatnam north, but who the new candidate is, remains a secret.

Government whip Karanam Dharmasri and former minister Muttamsetti Srinivas (Avanti) from Chodavaram and Bheemili are being replaced but their replacements remain a matter of speculation.

In Anakapalli district, the Narsipatnam ticket is being given to Zameel Partudu, younger brother of former minister Ch Ayyanna Patrudu. Golla Babu Rao is being replaced in Payakaraopeta in favour of  K Bangarayya, who lost the 2019 elections that he fought on a TD ticket. UV Ramana Murthy Raju is likely to be changed in favour of Adari Rama Devi, daughter of Adari Tulasi Rao.

In ASR district, ST Commission chairman and MLC Kumbha Ravi Babu is likely to replace Chetti Palguna and Gotteti Madhavi might replace K Bhagyalakshmi for Paderu constituency.

Srikakulam district is also likely to have two changes. The YSRC is looking for a woman candidate in place of Duvada Vani while Gorle Kiran is being eased out from Etcherla. “The party is trying hard to win the city constituencies that it lost in the last elections,’’ a senior party leader said.