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Monday, Mar 23, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Tenali: TDP in a fix

Ramesh Susarla

TENALI (GUNTUR Dt.): Telugu Desam Party is in a difficult situation in deciding the candidate to be nominated from Tenali Assembly constituency with two bigwigs of the party staking claim for party nomination papers.

A recent ‘so-called’ finalised list of TDP candidates publicised in the media saw the name of former Minister Alapati Rajendra Prasad, who had been pitching for this seat following his original constituency - Vemuru getting reserved for SCs. This led to a hue and cry from the supporters of former MLA and 2004 elections unsuccessful TDP candidate Gogineni Uma seeking ticket for this time also.

The list had raised many an eyebrow with no woman candidate finding place in the list of 15 names related to 20 Lok Sabha seats and Assembly constituencies, leaving party cadre to guess names for remaining five places.

While Dr. Uma is a strong contender for Tenali ticket with an additional qualification as woman candidate, the former Zilla Parishad Chairperson Sakkrthi Ramaiah’s daughter Jayalakshmi and from Annabathina family and wife of Telugu Yuvatha president Sravan Kumar is also making efforts to get the nod.

For Mr. Alapati Rajaendra Prasad, who has many of his business interests in Guntur city, Guntur-West will be next option if party forces him to opt out of Tenali. In that he would face the Congress Minister for Transport Kanna Lakshmi Narayana and it will not be a cake walk for either. The TDP had not indicated any name in the latest list.

With the Congress naming Nadendla Manohar as its nominee and TDP also likely to nominate a candidate from Kamma community, Praja Rajyam Party is toying the idea of fielding a Kapu candidate Tulasi Charan, son of Tulasi Ramachandra Prabhu, Tulasi Seeds Chairman. Four other local candidates are also aspiring for a PRP ticket from Tenali including M. Venkata Ramana and V.S. Ramireddy.

Delimitation of the Assembly constituency has brought in Duggirala, Kollipara and Vemuru mandals into Tenali constituency. Traditionally TDP had been nominating a Kapu candidate from Duggirala.

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