Even as a few hours were left for the issuing of notification for the elections, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is yet to finalise candidates from Lok Sabha constituencies in the State.
The ruling party is said to be weighing options and calculating various equations while the notification would be issued on Monday. The YSR Congress Party has come out with the full list of candidates for Lok Sabha seats.After a fortnight-long parleys with the party leaders and cadres, sources say TDP national president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has decided to renominate a few sitting MPs. He is said to be busy making his math right to clear the names for the rest of the constituencies.
The TDP had won 16 MP seats in the last general elections. Of this, M. Srinivasa Rao who represented Anakapalli and P. Ravindra Babu who was elected from Amalapuram have switched sides to the YSRCP. Kakinada MP Thota Narasimham, his Rajahmundry and Anantapur counterparts M. Murali Mohan and J.C. Diwakar Reddy have voluntarily withdrawn from the race.
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In the fray
Meanwhile, the party has decided to field K. Rammohan Naidu from Srikakulam and P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju from Vizianagaram; Adari Anand (Anakapalle); Chalamasetti Suneel (Kakinada); Maganti Venkateswara Rao (Babu) (Eluru); Konakalla Narayana (Machilipatnam); Kesineni Nani (Vijayawada);Galla Jayadev (Guntur); Ch. Adinaryaana Reddy (Kadapa). And, the fate of Ongole, Hindupur, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Nandyal, Narasaraopet, Nellore, Narsapuram constituencies is still hanging in the balance. Mr. Diwakar Reddy’s son J. C. Pawan Kumar Reddy would contest from Anantapur, while Mr. Murali Mohan is planning to hand over the mantle to his daughter-in-law Maganti Roopa.
The TDP supremo has decided to field former Union ministers and Congress former leaders V. Kishore Chandra Deo from Araku and Kotla Jayasuryaprakash Reddy from Kurnool. Chalamalasetty Sunil, who switched loyalties from the YSRCP to the TDP, would contest from Kakinada Lok Sabha segment. Former MP Harsha Kumar may contest from Amalapuram. With this, Mr. Naidu might field G. Harish, son of Lok Sabha former Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi who died in a chopper crash, from Amalapuram Assembly constituency. Initially, there were reports that Mr. Harish would be the candidate from Amalapuram LS segment.
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Rayapati in a fix
Now, the TDP has to search a new face for Bapatla as sitting MP Sriram Malyadri has been told to contest from Tadikonda Assembly.
In all probability, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao would contest from Narasaraopet seat.
With the buzz in the party cirlce that he might not be given a chance to contest, he held meeting with his followers to chalk out his course of action. But, TDP leaders urged him not to take any hasty step.