Even as the YSR Congress Party candidate Chevireddy Mohith Reddy and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in-charge Pulivarthi Nani are busy canvassing for the prestigious Chandragiri assembly constituency, the emergence of posters with the word ‘Maarpu’ has sparked much interest.
The poster shows C. Divakar Reddy, an entrepreneur who has found success in the field of real estate with noteworthy ventures around Tirupati over the last decade. Though the poster has only Mr. Divakar Reddy’s image and the word ‘Maarpu – Let us change’, the use of a yellow shaded background is being viewed as a hint of his cosying up to the TDP.
Hailing from Perumallapalle village in Tirupati Rural mandal, which is part of Chandragiri constituency, Mr. Divakar Reddy is learnt to have approached the TDP seeking a ticket to contest the coming elections. As Mr. Nani has been working for the party after unsuccessfully contesting the 2019 elections, the high command is apparently undecided as to how to resolve the situation.
Caste equations
Caste has been a deciding factor in the constituency, as has been witnessed in previous elections, with Reddy and Kamma voters having an equal say. It was in 1994 that the TDP last tasted victory here, when Nara Ramamurthy Naidu, brother of party president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, won the seat.
Mr. Divakar Reddy is learnt to have convinced the TDP top brass on the importance of fielding a candidate from the Reddy community to ensure a vertical split in the caste votes, especially when the opponent Mohith Reddy is a first-timer. At the same time, it will ensure consolidation of Kamma votes in favour of the TDP, to which the party leadership is learnt to be giving serious thought.
However, neither the YSRCP, nor the Nani camp in TDP has paid any heed to the posters and are engrossed in taking their campaign forward.
