TD leaders in Vizag in desperate wait for tickets

Visakhapatnam: Senior Telugu Desam leaders in Vizag are anxiously waiting for the next party list of assembly and Lok Sabha candidates. They are pinning their hopes on party chief Chandrababu Naidu.

The TD leadership has not explained to Ganta Srinivas Rao why he was denied the Bhimili ticket. Ganta hesitates to go to compete against Botsa in Chipurupalli of Vizianagaram district. He repeatedly conveyed his reservations to the leadership but did not get any positive response.

Senior leader and former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana is depressed as he does not know whether he will get a ticket or not. Rumours were that he was considering the option of quitting the party and joining the YSRC. But Bandaru said he has no such plan.

Bandaru expected the Pendurthi assembly ticket. When the TD was in trouble, Bandaru stood firm and confronted the YSRC. TD men say that Bandaru's troubles started when former MLA Panchakarla Ramesh Babu bid goodbye to the YSRC, joined the Jana Sena and grabbed the ruling party’s Pendurti ticket.

There is talk in TD that the Pendurthi ticket will be given to Jana Sena and Panchkarla Ramesh Babu will be the candidate. Bandaru’s close associates say Bandaru is unable to digest this.

TD cadres say it is not appropriate to sideline leaders like Bandaru, who have worked for the party and faced arrests.

The YSRC has not decided on its candidate for the Anakapalli LS seat. A campaign is on in the district that Bandaru can be given this MP ticket. TDP sources say Bandaru cannot go to YSRC as his son-in-law, Srikakulam MP Kinjarapu Rammohananaidu, is in a key position in TD.