Telugu Desam aspirants in limbo as Chandrababu Naidu yet to finalise seats

Kurnool: Telugu Desam aspirants wishing to contest in the ensuing general elections were restive as the CM N. Chandrababu Naidu has kept in abeyance the selection of candidates. TD leaders are still lobbying to confirm their berth.

The TD high command has not yet declared candidates for Kurnool, Adoni, Kodumur, Nandikotkur, Panyam and Nandyal Assembly seats in the district. Alur TD leaders under the leadership of Veerabhadra Goud took out a rally on Wednesday against the joining of Kotla Sujathamma. They demanded that Alur seat be given to a BC leader. Kurnool aspirant T.G. Bharath met Nara Lokesh and appraised him of the ground situation in Kurnool.

Panyam ticket may likely go in favour of G. Charita Reddy as she has been planning to ditch YSRC and join TD along with Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy on March 2 at Kodumur. Ms Reddy and her husband had been meeting his followers for the last two days to elicit their opinion on joining the TD.

Kurnool MP Butta Renuka, who was expecting Yemmi-ganur seat was disappointed as it was confirmed to the sitting MLA Jaya Nageswara Reddy. Now she is said to be lobbying for Adoni.

The chances appear to be bleak for Butta Renuka, said a TD leader. The most contentious seat in the district is Kurnool where Mr Bharath is competing with sitting MLA S.V. Mohan Reddy to secure the nomination.

Mr Bharath had recently met Lokesh and was given an assurance that Kurnool ticket would be given based on public choice. Mr Bharath said he had been visiting the lanes and bylanes for the past 53 days under vision yatra and Lokesh wanted him to continue public interactions.

Nandyal is another constituency where strong leaders like A.V. Subba Reddy and Sajjala Sridhar Reddy are hoping for tickets. But it is learnt that the sitting MLA Bhuma Bramhananda Reddy got 78 percent marks in a feedback survey. Therefore, except for Bhuma, others have no chance of being picked up at Nandyal, revealed a TD leader.