Suspense continued on Friday over the TDP’s likely candidates for the upcoming elections to vacancies in the local authorities constituencies in the Legislative Council.
Though TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu has finalised the names of a few candidates, there is uncertainty for some seats, particularly in Guntur and Krishna districts. Also, the party is yet to announce its candidates for one seat each in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts.
Mr. Naidu has been holding meetings with party leaders from these four districts but has not arrived at a conclusion because he has to balance several factors including caste.
The names of P. Keshav (Anantapur), G. Muddukrishnama Naidu (Chittoor), Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (Prakasam), Y. Babu Rajendra Prasad (Krishna), Reddy Subrahmaniam (East Godavari) and P. Chalapati Rao (Visakhapatnam) have been cleared by the leadership, and nominations have been filed on their behalf. The last date for filing nominations is June 16.
The party, according to sources, focussed its attention on finalising candidates for one seat each in Krishna, Guntur, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts.
In Guntur, where elections are slated to be held for two seats, Mr. Naidu has reportedly decided against fielding the party’s nominee for one seat, leaving the other seat to the main Opposition YSR Congress.
This, sources said, was a calibrated decision taken on the basis of the party’s strength in the local bodies in the district and Mr. Naidu wanted to pre-empt any scope for unhealthy practices in the election by conceding the seat.
For the lone seat which the TDP can wrest comfortably, Mr. Naidu is said to be examining various options as there are more than two contenders.
Senior party leaders Chandu Sambasivudu and Mannam Subba Rao are said to be vying for the seat while, sources said, former minister J.R. Pushparaj could emerge as the dark horse in the race.
In Krishna district, the party had finalised the name of former MLC Y. Babu Rajendra Prasad for one seat while senior leader B. Arjunudu and Buddha Venkanna are in the race for the second seat.
The leadership is also said to be finding it difficult to finalise the candidate for the second seat in Visakhapatnam where two ministers Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu and Ganta Srinivasa Rao are backing candidates of their choice.
While Mr. Srinivasa Rao is favouring party leader Kannababu Raju’s name, Mr. Ayyanna Patrudu is said to be backing former MLA Ramanaidu.
