Hyderabad, April 6: Even as the Congress and Telugu Desam parties are breaking their heads to hunt for a suitable and strong candidate for the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency in the ensuing by-elections, the newly floated YSR Congress has made a head start in the poll battle by launching its electioneering from Wednesday.
The late Chief Minister YSR’s son and former Kadapa MP Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who quit the seat following differences with the Congress and forced the by-elections, is seeking re-election now with his own political outfit. His mother Vijayalaxmi, who too has resigned her Pulivendula Assembly seat, is also seeking reelection on her son’s political plank.
The by-elections to the Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies are slated for May 8. While Jagan and his mother have declared their candidatures for the two seats respectively, the Congress and the TDP are yet to finalize their nominees and despite burning the midnight lamp in consultations and discussions with the district leaders, they could not zero in on suitable nominees. However, the Congress seems to have decided to field Agriculture Minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy from Pulivendula to take on his sister-in-law Vijayalaxmi. But the party is still groping in the dark to find a suitable nominee for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, to give a tough fight to Jagan.
With the late YSR firmly establishing Kadapa district as its political domain, the elections here have always been considered very prestigious and attracted nation-wide attention. Now after the unexpected and tragic demise of YSR, his son Jagan is trying to take over the political legacy in the district with his own political outfit YSR Congress. As a matter of fact Jagan has received a shot in the arm with the success of three of his nominees in the recent Legislative Council elections from the Local Authority Constituencies.
Thus the by-elections for Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies have become mother of all poll battles with Jagan’s YSR Congress throwing one of the biggest challenges to both the Congress and the Telugu Desam parties for political supremacy, nay even survival, in the state.
Having already earned the title as “Yuva Netha” , Jagan and his mother Vijayalaxmi have kick started their electioneering after paying homage at YSR Ghat in Idupulapaya and seeking the blessings at the famous Peda Dargah. While Jagan addressed a number of rallies starting from Mylavaram, his mother began her campaign from Pornapalli. Accompanied by family members and legislators and other district leaders, the door-to-door campaign of YSR Congress party commenced on a thunderous note attracting large crowds cheering the two contestants.0
—Agencies