Visakhapatnam: The ruling YSRC party announced the list of candidates for 175 assembly constituencies and 24 parliament segments but surprisingly put on hold the name for Anakapalli Lok Sabha constituency. Revenue minister Dharmana Prasada Rao announced the list of assembly candidates while MP Nandigam Suresh announced the list of MP candidates at Idupulapaya in the presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday.
The list just said Anakapalli (BC) but no name was mentioned. Party sources said the YSRC held back the name for strategic reasons, waiting for the Jana Sena-BJP-TD alliance to name their candidate. BJP sources said they may probably field CM Ramesh for Anakapalli and Kothapalli Geetha for Araku. Ramesh earlier told reporters that he asked the high command to allot him Visakhapatnam constituency but the party leaders turned down his request.
Three candidates are in fray for the YSRC ticket including Peela Rama Devi, elder sister of Adari Anand, the coordinator of Visakhapatnam West, Boddeda Prasad, a close aide of minister Gudivada Amarnath and Boddeti Kasi Vishwanath, a civil engineer by profession. Sources said Rama Devi opted out of the race claiming that she would be focusing on campaigning for her younger brother Adari Anand, who is contesting from Visakhapatnam West. The high command seemed to have set aside the candidature of Boddeda Prasad as his name prominently figured in several land scams in Anakapalli during the last recent months.
“As of now, only Kasi Viswanath seems to be on top of the list among the probables,’’ said a senior YSRC leader. Viswanath hails from Anakapalli and belongs Gavara community, which is predominant in Anakapalli, Narsipatnam, Payakaraopeta and Yelamanchili. Presently he is the observer for the party in Narsipatnam assembly constituency and state secretary for BC Cell.
Meanwhile, the sitting MP Dr K Satyavathi is putting in all her efforts to get renominated. Though she met the chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy twice in recent months, she did not get any positive response from him, party sources said.
