16 file nominations for MLC polls on first day

ANANTAPUR: A total of 16 nominations were received for the Rayalaseema West graduate constituency and three nominations for the teacher's constituency MLC seats in Anantapur till Tuesday evening.

Collector and election officer Kethan Garg took the nominations from candidates at the Anantapur collectorate. No nomination has been received for the MLC seats under the local bodies segment.

A big fight is likely for the graduate constituency as many independents and leaders of some caste organisations are filing nominations in addition to candidates from the political parties. BJP candidate Raghavendra Nagaruru filed the nomination for the graduate constituency while BC and Congress leader Pothula Nagaraju filed his nominations.

YSRC announced the candidature of Vennapusa Ravindra Reddy whose father Gopal Reddy is sitting MLC. The former AP NGO association president (Vennapusa Ravindra Reddy) would be in the fray. TD released the candidature of Bhumireddy Ramgopal Reddy of Pulivendula as its candidate and he would file the nominations on Wednesday.

Under the Rayalaseema West constituency of both graduates and teachers, the Kadapa,  Anantapur and Kurnool areas will be covered. For the teachers' constituency, three nominations were received in the past two days, officials said.

M.V. Sridevi from Kadapa, Rama Seshaiah from Adoni and Katti Narasimha Reddy of Rajampet filed their nominations as independents. The incharge collector said the strong room was set up at the government polytechnic college in Anantapur, where the counting would be held.

Meanwhile, Kudipudi Suryanarayana Rao (73) filed nominations from the local bodies segment. He belongs to Amalapuram of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy selected him. Ten members have proposed his name as he submitted the nomination papers to the election returning officer S Ilakkiya.

Nalli Rajesh of Palakollu in West Godavari district filed the nomination for the local bodies segment at Eluru on Tuesday as an Independent candidate. He submitted his papers to the election returning officer and joint collector Arun Babu.