TDP announces final list of candidates for 9 MLA seats, 4 MP seats

AMARAVATHI: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has announced its final list of candidates for nine Assembly seats (MLA), and four Lok Sabha seats (MP) for the upcoming general elections for 2024. 

Former minister Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao was fielded from Cheepururpalli to fight Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana of the YSR Congress. Another former minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao will be contesting from Bheemili. The other MLA candidates are: Paderu (ST) - Killu Venkata Ramesh; Darsi - Dr. Gottipati Lakshmi; Rajampet - Sugavasi Subrahmanyam; Alur - Veerabhadra Goud; Guntakal - Gummanur Jayaram; Anantapur Urban - Daggubati Venkateswara Prasad; and Kadiri - Kandikunta Venkata Prasad. 

The MP candidates are: Vizianagaram - Kalisetty Appala Naidu; Ongole - Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy; Anantapur - Ambika Lakshminarayana; Kadapa - Chadipiralla  Bhupesh Reddy.

With this, the TDP will be contesting 144 Assembly seats; Jana Sena will contest from 21; and the BJP 10. As regards MP seats; the TDP will contest 17 seats; the BJP - 6 and Jana Sena two.

Also Read: TDP third list: Names candidates for 13 MP, 11 MLA seats; Devineni Uma denied ticket

However, there is tussle going on between the BJP and the TDP in respect of some seats on which clarity would emerge soon. The BJP is repotedly asking for Rajahmundry Rural or Urban seats to accommodate its former State unit president Somu Veerraju. 

Though the party initially wanted Ganta Srinivasa Rao to contest from Cheepurupalli, he insisted that he be fielded from Bheemili. Thus, the TDP brought in another senior leader Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao to fight Botcha Satyanarayana. Gummanru Jayaram, who was a minister in the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Cabinet till recently, quit the party and joined the TDP and he is fielded from Guntakal Assembly seat. While the YSRCP tipped him of the Kurnool Lok Sabha seat, he refused to take it and he had expected renomination from Alur. However, even the TDP shifted him to Gutakal Assembly seat. 

K Raghu Rama Krishnam Raju who had resigned from the YSR Congress expected the TDP to field him from Narsapuram. However, the BJP fielded its nominee from Narasapuram. Angered by this, Raghu Rama Krishnam Raju strongly criticised TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu saying that if he could not give him a ticket, how could he fight for Polavaram project and also how could he protect the interests of the State.