The YSR Congress Party won all 10 Assembly seats in the undivided SPSR Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh in 2019. But the political situation seems to have altogether changed, with dissidence gripping the ruling party in several Assembly segments and dissidents openly displaying their internal bickering.
This was at a time when the opposition Telugu Desam Party received a shot in the arm with the joining of dissident leaders led by former Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, the MLA from Venkatagiri, who has considerable following in SPSR Nellore district cutting across Assembly constituencies.
Internal strife came to the fore during the review meeting held by YSRCP Parliamentary party leader V. Vijaya Sai Reddy for two days till Friday as the ticket aspirants from among other constituencies, Kavali and Udayagiri, raised slogans against each another. He put an end to the ugly scenes during the review meeting held till late Friday, saying, “Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will take a final decision on Assembly constituency candidates, and everyone has to abide by it.”
At one point of time, sitting YSRCP MLA from Kavali R. Pratap Kumar Reddy and his followers abruptly left the meeting venue before returning upset with the supporters of his friend-turned-foe M. Sukumar Reddy, raising slogans against him. Following a complaint from the MLA, the party’s high command had placed the latter under suspension six months ago and revoked it after he vowed to strengthen the hands of the Chief Minister. Efforts by Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy to persuade the sitting MLA by promising to recommend his name for the seat, provided he buried the hatchet with Mr. Sukumar Reddy, led to heartburn among the followers of the MLA, according to party sources.
In Udayagiri, the party’s efforts to find a replacement for Mr. Chandrasekara Reddy met with resistance as the groups opposed to Mr. Mekapati Rajagopal Reddy, whose name had been shortlisted, raising objections to the party mulling over giving the party ticket yet another member of the Mekapati family. Ch. Subba Reddy, M. Chiranjeevi Reddy and Mr. Dhanjay Reddy have also thrown their hats in the electoral ring in the constituency where Mr. Chandrasekara Reddy, with considerable following, may upset the applecart of the selected candidate, whoever it may be.
Among others, Nellore Mayor Potluri Shravanthi and Deputy Mayor Roopkumar Yadav, the uncle of sitting Nellore city MLA P. Anil Kumar Yadav had spoken against the leadership giving the ticket to the former Irrigation Minister this time as he had not taken the party’s second rung leaders into confidence. Efforts by the Chief Minister to bring about a rapprochement between Mr. Anil Kumar and Mr. Roopkumar had not fructified, the sources said.
In Atmakur, the sitting MLA Mekapati Vikram Reddy, who retained the seat in the byelection caused by the death of his brother and then Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy, in a facile manner last year, will have to sweat it out against the TDP which according to sources had shortlisted the name of Mr. Ramanarayana Reddy for the key seat.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sridhar Reddy is expected to give a tough time to Nellore MP Adala Prabhakar Reddy, who has been made in charge of the Nellore Rural Assembly segment by the YSRCP party following the parting of ways by the former after alleging tapping of his phones by the State police intelligence wing at the behest of the ruling party.
Unscheduled power cuts, poor storage in Somasila reservoir and alleged protracted delay in clearance of the bills of YSRCP second rung leaders who made government contracts had distanced farmers and other sections of people from the party, opined a group of disgruntled party workers on the sidelines of the poll-preparedness meeting.
It has to be seen whether the party leadership would be able to make the warring groups bury the hatchet and face the polls unitedly at a time when the TDP is striving to stage a comeback after losing eight Assembly seats in truncated Nellore district and two in neighbouring Balaji district, post reorganisation of districts.
