The ruling YSRCP played a safe game by fielding the maximum number of sitting MLAs in all Assembly constituencies of Vizianagaram district, although a few second-rung leaders sought tickets for new candidates in several places.
The party high command, which took feedback from different sources, observed that a few local leaders had colluded with opponent parties to disturb sitting MLAs.
S.Kota MLA Kadubandi Srinivasa Rao, Nellimarla legislator Baddukonda Appala Naidu, Gajapathinagaram MLA Botcha Appala Narasayya and others faced troubles due to dissidence. However, the party understood that many of them got elected for the first time to the Assembly and they needed to be given another chance to consolidate the party vote bank and review developmental activities.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao thanked Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy for reposing faith in him while hoping that he would win S.Kota seat with a thumping majority. The party also fielded Sambangi Venkata China Appala Naidu (Bobbili), Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy (Vizianagaram) and Botcha Satyanarayana (Cheepurupalli) and has given ticket to new candidate Tale Rajesh in Rajam, while sending sitting MLA Kambala Jogulu to Payakaraopet of Visakhapatnam district. Except in Rajam, all the candidates got tickets again.
As far as Srikakulam is concerned, it has given Assembly ticket to Duvvada Srinivas in Tekkali to take on TDP candidate K. Atchannaidu. Mr. Srinivas had contested unsuccessfully as an MP candidate in 2019 elections from Srikakulam Parliamentary constituency. Mr. Perada Tilak, who contested in Tekkali Assembly seat in 2019 general elections, was given Parliamentary seat this time.
It has opted former MLA Piriya Sairaj’s wife Pirya Vijaya for Itchapuram Assembly seat. It has not given seats to family members of Thammineni Sitharam (Amadalavalasa) and Dharmana Prasada Rao (Srikakulam) although they sought party tickets for their family members. The party high command had indicated that only seniors and sitting MLAs would be able to fight elections confidently in the backdrop of TDP’ alliance with the Jana Sena Party and the BJP.
