By fielding three candidates from the Backward Classes in the politically sensitive Guntur district, the YSR Congress Party is hoping to wean away the traditional vote bank of the ruling Telugu Desam Party.
The party has also selected three women candidates, including two fresh faces, in the 17 Assembly segments.
Vidadala Rajani from Chilakaluripet and Undavalli Sridevi from Tadikonda are making their debut in this election.
By fielding Rajani (Rajaka), an IT employee who worked in the USA, against a political heavy weight like Minister for Civil Supplies Prathipati Pulla Rao in Chilakaluripet, the party seems to be sending a message. Former DIG of Police, Chandragiri Yesuratnam (Uppara) in Guntur West Assembly segment and Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao (fisherman community) (Repalle), are the other two candidates from BC communities.
Surprise choice
The party has sprung a surprise by picking up Nandigam Suresh, a young leader from Uddandarayunipalem in the Capital region, for the prestigious Bapatla Lok Sabha (SC) segment. Suresh has emerged as a leader during the agitation against the Land Pooling Scheme in the Capital region during 2014-16 and since then has been nurtured by the party. Jagan Mohan Reddy is said to have assured Suresh of a Lok Sabha ticket four years back, a promise that he had kept.
Suresh was also given the privilege of announcing the candidates for the Lok Sabha segments at Idupulapaya in Kadapa district.
The party has given four segments to the Reddy community in Mangalagiri (Alla Ramakrishna Reddy), Narsaraopet (Gopireddy Srinivasa Reddy), Gurazala (Kasu Mahesh Reddy) and Macherla (Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy). Sk. Mohammad Mustafa (Guntur East) has retained his candidature. Two candidates from Kamma community, Namburi Sankara Rao (Pedakurapadu) and Bolla Brahma Naidu (Vinukonda), are in the fray and two candidates from the Kapu community, Ambati Rambabu (Sattenapalli) and Kilaru Venkata Rosaiah (Ponnur) are contesting against senior TDP leaders Kodela Siva Prasada Rao and Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar respectively.
