TDP Facing Headwinds in Nellore District

Nellore: As the 2024 Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections are fast approaching, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) seems to be in a fix with regard to the selection of candidates from Nellore. The opposition party has no base in the district after it had lost all the 10 Assembly seats in the 2019 Assembly elections and later all the wards in Nellore city to the ruling YSR Congress party. 

Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP is effectively looking out for potential nominations in the district. The party’s candidates in Nellore constituencies were defeated both in 2014 and 2019 elections. Given the lack of support from the electorate in Nellore, the opposition party is staring at another round of defeat in the ensuing elections. 

Nellore is a ruling YSRCP bastion and the TDP is planning to breach it without ammunition. Naidu appears to be confused as senior leaders had failed in the previous elections and new faces may not help much either to increase the electoral fortunes of the party in the upcoming elections. Furthermore, Jana Sena Party is considering to fill the places seemingly vacated by the ally TDP, however, Naidu will not leave the Nellore segment to the alliance partner.  Meanwhile, Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, YSRCP’s expelled MLA from Nellore Rural constituency, is seeking a re-election from the assembly segment on a TDP ticket. If the ticket is denied, he may contest the election as an independent candidate. 

Former minister and TDP Politburo member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy is hopeful of getting a nomination from the party from Sarvepalle assembly segment. Naidu will likely deny him a ticket as he was defeated in elections five times in a row. Hence, his nomination seems to be uncertain. 

Former MLA Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy, who represented Kovur Assembly constituency in the past, has decided to make way for his son Dinesh Reddy. Given the strong presence of ruling YSRCP in the region, the TDP may field a new candidate from the constituency. 

In Kavali assembly constituency, four TDP leaders are ticket aspirants, but the party leadership may deny them the tickets as these mandal-level politicians are not popular among the voters. Mafia don D Vebkateswara Reddy is also seeking a ticket from the TDP, however, the local party cadre is not in a mood to extend their support to him in the forthcoming elections. 

The political atmosphere of Udayagiri Assembly constituency is different as Bollineni Venkata Ramarao and NRI Kakarla Suresh have declared themselves as the party's candidate from the assembly segment. MLA Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy, who was expelled from the YSRCP, has also claimed that he is going to contest from the assembly segment. Meanwhile, BC leader Ponneboyina Chenchalababu Yadav is also hoping for the ticket. 

Naidu is reportedly considering fielding YSRCP expelled MLA Anam Ramanarayana Reddy from Atmakur Assembly constituency, however, Reddy has informed the party leadership that he will not contest from the segment. Recently, Anam carried out two personal surveys and the survey results showed he was not popular enough among the electorate. 

Kandukur assembly segment witnesses stiff competition between Inturi brothers for the candidature. It is being reported that Naidu is keen to field Inturi Nageswara Rao from Kandukur, however, the defeat of TDP is inevitable as the ruling YSRCP holds a sway in Kandukur constituency. 

TDP has no dearth of candidates in Sarvepalle, Kavali, Udayagiri, Atmakur and Kandukur assembly constituencies, however, the party needs potential candidates who can give stiff competition to YSRCP rivals in the ensuing elections. 

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