TDP final list: Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy to contest from Ongole MP seat

Amaravati: Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy – one of the accused in the Delhi Liquor Scam case – who turned an approver for Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha has been given a ticket from Ongole Lok Sabha seat by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Earlier he was a YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP.

Apart from Srinivasulu Reddy, Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Gummanur Jayaram were among those candidates in the final list released by TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu for Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in the state on Friday. As part of their alliance with the BJP and Jana Sena, the TDP would contest 144 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha seats for the upcoming elections.

Rebel MP from YSRCP K Raghu Rama Krishnam Raju, who anticipated contesting from Vizianagaram Lok Sabha seat on behalf of the TDP after a rejection from the BJP, was left empty in the party’s final list. This has put the political career of Raghu Rama Krishnam Raju at a crossroads.

Srinivasulu Reddy expected Ongole ticket for son

On February 28, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy quit the YSRCP as an MP from the Ongole Lok Sabha seat, citing a perceived lack of respect within the ranks.

Anticipating the Ongole MP seat for his son Magunta Raghava Reddy – who also turned approver in the Delhi Liquor Scam case – Srinivasulu Reddy and his son joined the TDP in the presence of Chandrababu Naidu on March 17. However, the TDP leadership gave a ticket to Srinivasulu Reddy, instead of his son Raghava Reddy. With this, Raghava Reddy’s political entry stood in a dilemma.

Jayaram to contest from Guntakal

In the TDP’s final list, former labour minister and YSRCP leader Gummanur Jayaram secured a ticket to contest from the Guntakal Assembly constituency.

In the 2019 elections, Jayaram won as an MLA from the Alur constituency in the Anantapur district. As part of implementing social engineering, chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy denied a ticket to Jayaram from Alur and nominated B Virupakshi as an MLA candidate. The YSRCP leadership suggested Jayaram to contest as an MP from Kurnool. After being upset with the YSRCP leadership’s decision, he quit the party and joined the TDP during the ‘Jaya Ho’ BC meeting held at Mangalagiri on March 6.

Ganta to contest from Bheemili

The hopes of Ganta Srinivasa Rao to contest as an MLA from the Bheemili Assembly constituency were fulfilled by the TDP in the final list.

In the 2019 elections, Srinivasa Rao contested from the Visakhapatnam North Assembly constituency and won as an MLA. Initially, the TDP leadership considered former minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao to field against YSRCP’s titan Botcha Satyanarayana in Cheepurupalli. However, Ganta mentioned to the TDP leadership that he would prefer to contest from Bheemili. After considering the equations, the TDP gave a chance to Ganta to contest from Bheemili.

Bhupesh Reddy to take on Avinash Reddy in Kadapa

Kala Venkata Rao, the former TDP AP unit president would fight the election from Cheepurupalli Assembly constituency.

K Venkata Ramesh Naidu would contest from Paderu, Dr G Lakshmi (Darsi), S Subramanyam (Rajampet), Veerabhadra Goud (Alur), Daggupati Venkateshwar Prasad (Anantapur urban) and K Venkata Prasad (Kadiri).

In the MP’s list, Ambica Lakshminarayana and Chidipiralla Bhupesh Reddy would contest from Anantapur and Kadapa Lok Sabha seats respectively. Bhupesh Reddy would take on the YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy in the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat on behalf of the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance.