VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will continue adhering to his social engineering concept for the ensuing MLC elections, as it has been a winning formula in all the polls since the 2019 Assembly general elections.
Speculations are high that the CM will reshuffle his Cabinet after the Council polls and accommodate up to three MLCs as ministers as part of his “Why Not 175” election strategy. So far, only MLAs have become ministers. There is thus high competition among YSRC leaders for MLC tickets, particularly those who have been hoping for rewards since past three-and-a-half years.
Notification has already been issued for elections to nine seats from local bodies and three graduates’ and two teachers’ seats, polling for which will be on March 13. There are another seven MLC seats from the Assembly quota, for which notification is expected soon.
According to sources, the Chief Minister is unhappy with at least half a dozen ministers, whom he took into the Cabinet during the last reshuffle. He is expected to drop at least three to four of them in the reshuffle to be affected after MLC elections.
YSRC will win all the nine local body MLC seats owing to its overwhelming majority. Jagan had promised an MLC post to former legislator Jayamangala Venkata Ramana on condition that he quit Telugu Desam and join YSRC as part of his social engineering. Further, former legislator Marri Rajasekhar had been promised a party ticket in 2019 elections. But the seat had to be given to Vidadala Rajini for keeping the social balance. Rajasekhar will thus be given ticket to accommodate the Kamma social group.
Sources said Reddys from Rayalaseema districts are making huge efforts to get MLC tickets. There are four MLC seats in Rayalaseema region of which one will go to minorities and another to BCs. Two Reddys are thus expected to be accommodated from Rayalaseema. K. Vijayabhaskar Reddy and Naveen Nischal are contenders from Anantapur district.
Kapus of coastal and north Andhra districts too need to be given loaves of office. Jagan is expected to offer MLC seats to Kapus in Godavari and north Andhra districts. Kapu leaders Neelakantham Naidu, Padmavathi, K. Ramesh and K. Suryanarayana are among the hopefuls.
It is said during his recent tour of Kadapa district, Jagan assured former minister and senior leader P. Ramasubba Reddy an MLC seat. He even asked him to be ready for filing his nomination.
The Arya Vysya community had also been promised representation in the ministry when YSRC chief had taken out padayatra in Nellore. M. Dwarakanath from Nellore is expected to be the choice for another MLC ticket.
