Keen battle likely in Rajampet Lok Sabha

Anantapur: The Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency may witness a keen battle this time around as BJP is likely to field former Chief Minister N. Kirankumar Reddy as its candidate against the sitting MP Peddireddy Mithun Reddy there.

Rajampet Lok Sabha segment, which includes both Kadapa and Tirupati areas, has become a part of Annamayya district that was formed a few years ago after dividing the erstwhile Kadapa district. Rajampet, Kodur, Rayachoti, Thamballapalle, Pileru, Madanapalle of Annamayya and Punganur Assembly segments of Chittoor are part of Rajampet Lok Sabha segment now.

Telugu Desam has allotted Rajampet Lok Sabha seat to its alliance partner BJP and former CM Kirankumar Reddy is most likely to be announced as its candidate from there.

Kirankumar Reddy, who hails from Piler area and also worked as MLA and CM in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh after CM K. Rosaiah quit the post during the Congress regime.

Though Kirankumar Reddy opposed the state division, the Congress high command went ahead with the bifurcation of the state. Kirankumar later formed his own regional party but failed to get a positive response from the people of AP after the state bifurcation.

He had joined the BJP a year ago and now will be the party candidate from the Rajampet Lok Sabha segment. His father Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy had also worked as the minister of mines during the Congress regime in AP earlier.

BJP state wing president D. Purandeswari had contested on BJP ticket from Rajampet in the previous polls but lost to Mithun Reddy by a huge margin as YSRC continued its domination in Rajampet and Kadapa segments. However, with former CM Kirankumar Reddy is all set to enter the fray, there will be an interesting battle likely from Rajapet Lok Sabha this time around.