The Telugu Desam is in a bind to finalise its candidate for Narsaraopet Lok Sabha seat after sitting MP Modugula Venugopala Reddy made up his mind against seeking re-election.
Mr. Reddy was forced to shift the constituency after his cousin Ayodhya Rami Reddy, CMD of Ramky Group, was fielded by YSRC from Narsaraopet.
Five-time MP from Guntur, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, is leading the race and party sources have confirmed that in all likelihood, Mr. Rao, who had severed ties with the Congress, might be declared the Desam candidate, leaving a few hopefuls like Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, an NRI, disappointed.
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The Rayapati family has been moving closer to TDP in recent days and on Sunday, former Mayor Rayapati Mohana Sai Krishna was seen at the Arya Vyasya meeting, addressed by Ambika Krishna from Eluru.
Family sources said that they had convinced the TDP leadership of the positive impact that the family would have on the Guntur Lok Sabha seat.
But before firming the candidature of Mr. Rao, the party is looking for an Assembly segment for Venugopala Reddy.
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The latter was reportedly given the choice of choosing Macherla, Guntur West and Bapatla Assembly segments or even Ongole Lok Sabha seat.
Mr. Reddy met Chandrababu Naidu on Monday and will be meeting him again in the evening before he makes up his mind.
In an interesting development, local industrialist and chairman of Tulasi Seeds, Ramachandra Prabhu, visited the TDP office, raising questions over his next move. Prabhu confirmed that he would be joining the TDP and said that he would meet Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday at Hyderabad.
Prabhu had contested on PRP ticket at Guntur West in the 2009 Assembly elections but lost in a triangular contest to Kanna Lakshminarayana.