Brace for “son-rise” this election, big time. Sons of at least two dozen leaders are waiting in the wings to take a plunge into the humdrum of electoral politics.
A significant rise in new voters and the possibility that this could well be the last election for old warhorses is what’s driving the political parties to take a shot at the ‘fresh’ talent available this time.
Lokesh, son of Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu, is an exception as there is no word yet whether he will enter the poll fray though he is playing an active role in the party and has become a rallying point for ticket aspirants. Prior to bifurcation, speculation was rife that Mr. Naidu might contest from a Lok Sabha constituency and leave his Kuppam Assembly seat to Mr. Lokesh. However, Mr. Naidu seemed to have reversed his stand, post-bifurcation.
Jayadev, industrialist and son of former Minister Galla Aruna Kumari, jumped into the TDP along with his mother with an eye on Guntur Lok Sabha seat, claiming the support of actor-brother-in-law Mahesh Babu. The TDP has already sounded K. Rammohan Naidu, son of former Srikakulam MP Yerran Naidu who was killed in a car accident, to step into his father’s shoes. Vijay, son of former Minister Ayyanna Patrudu, and Sriram, son of slain TDP leader Paritala Ravi, are already knocking the doors of the party for a ticket. The former impressed Mr. Chandrababu Naidu with his speech at the last Mahanadu of the party. Incidentally, sons of four Home Ministers from the TDP and the Congress are also in the race. They include late A. Madhava Reddy’s son Sandeep Reddy who wants to contest from Nalgonda district and T. Devender Goud’s son Veerender from Uppal. Both of them are TDP ticket aspirants. On Congress side, K. Jana Reddy’s son Raghuveer Reddy and P. Sabitha Indra Reddy’s son Karthik Reddy set their eyes on tickets. The latter is keen on Chevella Lok Sabha constituency.
The list of aspirants in the Congress is pretty long. Meghana, daughter of former Minister J. Geetha Reddy, and sons of M. Mukesh, M. Anjan Kumar Yadav, M. Sashidhar Reddy and D.K. Adikeshavulu Naidu are pitching for the tickets. BJP leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy’s son Dinakar Reddy, TRS leader Manda Jagannatham’s son Srinath and rebel Congress leader Rayapati Sambasiva Rao’s son Ranga Rao are also contenders. TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter Kavitha and Apollo Hospitals chairman Pratap C. Reddy’s son-in-law Visweswar Reddy are on the radar of TRS. Former Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dadi Veerabhadra Rao has sought YSRC ticket for his son Ratnakar from Visakhapatnam (West).
