When there are more aspirants within a family, and the party leadership springs a surprise by choosing the less likely, it often leaves a bitter feeling, if not causing heartburn, within the family.
The TDP’s flip-flop over naming a candidate and subsequently issuing B-Forms in favour of another in the family has become a point of discussion in political circles.
In several instances, the pary leadership gave a ‘sudden twist’, leading to disappointment in the candidate who has already covered enough ground in the constituency.
For instance, Kurugondla Lakshmi Sai Priya, daughter of two-time MLA Kurugondla Ramakrishna, was initially named as the candidate for Venkatagiri Assembly constituency in Tirupati district.
Though a newcomer to politics, she actively participated in ‘Yuva Galam’, the party general secretary Nara Lokesh’s statewide walkathon, and got into his good books. In fact, she vigorously campaigned for herself until the last moment, when the party unexpectedly issued the B-Form to her father.
In Kadapa district’s Kamalapuram, party veteran Putha Narasimha Reddy has suffered defeat four times. This time, the party chose his son, Putha Chaitanya Reddy, a newcomer with a tough debut.
Kadapa district President Reddeppagari Srinivasa Reddy aspired to bag the Kadapa LS seat, but the party strategically gave the Kadapa Assembly ticket to his spouse, R. Madhavi Reddy. The move is viewed not only as an attempt to mollify the ruffled feelings in the family but also as a way to polarise the Hindu votes and neutralise the impact of 60,000 minority votes in the segment.
The situation is similar in Sri Sathya Sai district, where Paritala Sunitha and her son Paritala Sriram wanted to contest from the Rapthadu and Dharmavaram seats, respectively. However, the party chose only Paritala Sunitha for Rapthadu. When she volunteered to sacrifice the seat in favour of her son, the party stood its ground and insisted on her continuance in the race. The Dharmavaram seat then went to the BJP as part of the seat-sharing agreement.
In Nellore district’s Sarvepalli constituency, the party initially considered Somireddy Shruthi Reddy, the daughter-in-law of Polit Bureau member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, who had lost four consecutive elections, albeit with thin margins. After an inordinate delay, the party finally named Mr. Reddy its candidate.
Rayalaseema activist Byreddy Rajasekhara Reddy reportedly eyed the Nandyal LS seat. Still, the party chose his daughter Byreddy Shabari Reddy for the seat, again a first-timer to politics.
