VIJAYAWADA: The YSRC released its first list of candidates for nine Lok Sabha seats. The party picked three BCs for unreserved seats and renominated two of its former MPs. YSRC Rajya Sabha MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy on Saturday night said the party’s core committee had finalised candidates for all the 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats and the same would be announced by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Idupulapaya on Sunday morning.
“However, we are announcing the names of nine LS candidates today as per the muhurat fixed by Sarada Peetham Seer Swaroopanandendra Saraswati,’’ he said. The party renominated YS Avinash Reddy from Kadapa and PV Mithun Reddy from Rajampet Lok Sabha segments.
Playing the BC card, Jagan chose to field three leaders from backward communities in general category. For the Kurnool MP seat, the party picked Dr Sanjeev Kumar, who heads Ayushman Hospitals. Sanjeev Kumar hails from Padmashali community, which has a sizeable population in Aluru, Adoni and Yemmiganur Assembly segments falling under Kurnool constituency.
In 2014 too, it fielded Butta Renuka, also a Padmashali, and won the seat. However, with Kurnool strongman Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy joining the TDP and likely to be fielded from Kurnool Lok Sabha seat, the first time contestant Sanjeev Kumar will have a tough task in winning the election, a leader opined.
YSRC announces nine Lok Sabha candidates
For the Anantapur seat, the party fielded Talari Rangaiah, who hails from Boya community. A Group-I rank officer who earlier worked as commissioner of Anantapur and Hindupur municipalities and also as project director of DRDA, Rangaiah quit government service a year ago and joined the YSRC.
The 46-year debutant politician had a good reputation among the Self Help Groups in the district as he was closely associated with their functioning as the PD of DRDA, sources said the caste factor would be his added advantage.
Similarly, for the Hindupur seat, Jagan fielded Gorantla Madhav, considered a ‘macho policeman’ for his style of functioning during his tenure in police department. Madhav joined as an SI and went on to become an inspector and worked in various sub-divisions of the district and earned the reputation of being a tough police officer. “As a member of Police Officers’ Association, he even went to the extent of challenging Anantapur strong man JC Diwakar Reddy (presently Anantapur MP) for the latter’s utterances against policemen. This earned him a mass appeal,’’ a leader said. He hails from Kurba community.
For the SC reserved Amalapuram and Bapatla seats, the party fielded Anuradha, an educationist, and senior leader Nandigama Suresh respectively. From Chittor, also a SC reserved seat, the party field Reddappa, who has been in the party for quite a long time.
For the ST reserved Araku segment, the party fielded G Madhavi, daughter of former MLA G Demudu, who represented CI from Chintapalli constituency twice (1996 and 1999). Considering the clean image of the former MLA, who had to experience financial problems in his last days, the party chose his daughter for the seat, sources said.
Three BCs in first list
Araku (ST) - G Madhavi
Amalapuram (SC) - Anuradha
Anantapur - Talari Rangaiah
Bapatla (SC) - Nandigama Suresh
Kurnool - Dr Sanjeev Kumar
Hindupur - Gorantla Madhav
Chittoor (SC) - Reddappa
Kadapa - YS Avinash Reddy
Rajampet - PV Mithun Reddy