The row over alleged denial of the central constituency ticket to former MLA V. Radhakrishna by the YSRCP flared up when angry followers including corporators on Monday staged a protest at the statue of Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga Rao on the M.G. Road expressing strong disapproval of any such decision.
The protesters also threatened to end lives demanding the withdrawal of the thought being considered by the party’s brass. When YSRCP corporators Pallem Ravikumar and Kavati Damodara Rao held bottles filled with petrol during the protest, some activists grabbed them and poured the liquid on themselves apparently to set themselves afire. Mr. Radhakrishna, who was inside his home nearby until then, reached out to his followers and pacified them.
Mr. Radha and his followers were livid on Sunday evening after getting wind of the decision taken by the party observers to field former MLA Malladi Vishnu who joined the party from the Congress in Ranga’s basion — the Vijayawada central constituency. The party is reportedly going to announce Mr. Radha as the candidate for the Machilipatnam parliamentary constituency.
Mr. Radha held discussions with his supporters throughout the day while waiting for an official communication.
“By Tuesday afternoon the final decision would be announced by Mr. Radha. Once we get the official communication, a proper decision will be taken. We expect the party to withdraw any plan to field him out of the constituency,” Mr. Ravikumar told The Hindu .
The party has reportedly decided to allot the constituency to Mr. Vishnu, a Brahmin, as part of its plan to field at least two Brahmin aspirants optimally in the constituencies where there is strong vote base for the community. Mr. Vishnu had earlier won from the constituency.
