Tirupati: Former minister and senior YSRC MLA from Ongole, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, remained persistent on Wednesday, indicating he still hopes to secure a YSRC ticket for Ongole sitting MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy despite mounting obstacles.
Speaking to media, Balineni pointed out that Magunta has been in politics for 30 years. “I want to wait and see how successful my efforts are in getting him a ticket,” he remarked.
Political analysts see the senior leader’s unrelenting efforts as a sign of fresh turmoil within the ruling party. It is known that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has refused a ticket to Magunta despite Balineni’s persistent lobbying for the past few days.
Balineni is also pushing for allotment of tickets to his followers in some Prakasam district constituencies. But his recommendations have not been entertained during seat selection, for example, in Santhanuthalapadu and Kondapi constituencies.
The senior leader has gone on record saying it will not take long for him to resign in case his desired candidates are not allotted seats. However, he hopes that the issue could still be resolved amicably.
Balineni has also expressed confidence that YSRC candidates would ultimately win in all the relevant constituencies.
