TDP Chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, did a lot of homework ahead of the Graduate MLC elections by finalizing candidates for the two most important constituencies. Alapati Rajendra Prasad was named official candidate for the Guntur-Krishna Graduate MLC seat, whereas Pera Battula Rajasekhar would be representing the East-West Godavari Graduate MLC constituency.
It will be interesting to note that K.S. Laxman Rao, for Krishna-Guntur, Pakalapati Raghu Varma, for East-West Godavari, and Illa Venkateswara Rao, for Uttarandhra, all complete their terms by March 29 of the following year. With these key positions going the way of the political vacuum, the Election Commission has already begun preparing to conduct elections as it put out a notification for the updating of the voter list.
YSRCP too has thrown its hat into the ring, confirming Ponnuru Gautham Reddy as their candidate for the Krishna-Guntur Graduate MLC seat thus signalling its intent on challenging the TDP’s stranglehold in the region.
But it was not a smooth ride on the political plank for Pithapuram Varma. In the previous elections, Varma was all geared up to contest for Pithapuram seat under TDP banner. However, when the deal was sealed between TDP and Jana Sena, it became all the more frustrating for Varma as Pawan Kalyan, the chief of Jana Sena, is going to contest from Pithapuram, which frustrated Varma to an extent that he thought of contesting as independent candidate at one point.
As a gesture to end the row, Chandrababu Naidu rang Varma asking him to come and discuss the matter. During the course of this tete-a-tete, Naidu promised Varma that if he ensured Pawan Kalyan’s victory in Pithapuram, he would be rewarded with an MLC seat and Cabinet berths once the TDP regained power. Given the promise, the candidate withdrew from the fray.
Despite all declarations in that regard, when the names of final candidates for MLC were declared, Varma’s name was nowhere in the line. The reason for his omission has raised quite a few murmurs and speculations about Varma’s future in the party.
The incident is creating ripples of frustration amongst supporters of the leader as they are questioning the party about its commitment to his political future.
It remains to be seen how TDP would address this issue now with Varma’s loyalists voicing opinions over the matter.
