Visakhapatnam: The YSRC put an end to months of speculation on Tuesday by appointing minister for industries and IT Gudivada Amarnath as the coordinator for Gajuwaka constituency. Amarnath replaces Urukuti Chandrasekhar Rao.
The announcement came in the party’s 12th list, which also named Kavati Manohar Naidu as the coordinator for Chilakaluripet.
Amarnath’s appointment comes after a period of uncertainty following his move from Anakapalli constituency to a ministerial position in the cabinet reshuffle. The party's decision to appoint M. Bharat Kumar as Anakapalli coordinator had fuelled rumours that Amarnath might be sidelined in the upcoming elections.
Party insiders had previously suggested that Amarnath could be shifted to a Kapu-dominated constituency such as Chodavaram, Yalamamchili, or Pendurthi. There was also speculation that he might be nominated for the Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat, replacing Dr K. Satyavathi.
Gajuwaka has been a key constituency since Tippala Nagi Reddy's surprise victory over Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan in the 2019 elections. However, the party's decision to replace Reddy, a popular local figure, with Urukuti Chandrasekhar Rao, the son of a prominent Yadava leader, had sparked controversy. The appointment of a political novice to such a strategically important seat had caused considerable unrest within the constituency.
