The BJP which has selected candidates after getting 10 Assembly and 6 Lok Sabha seats in the alliance with TDP and Jana Sena, is now sensing the burnt of their poor presence at the grassroot level to fight in the elections. Particularly in some constituencies where the party presence is practically dismal, pleading TDP leaders to contest as their party candidates.
Already it has given seats like Tirupati Lok Sabha, Badvel Assembly to such last minute defected candidates. Now, it is practically fearing to contest from Anaparthi constituency of East Godavari district, after witnessing massive revolt among TDP cadre.
BJP has announced M Sivakrishnam Raju as its candidate. But it realized that TDP aspirant Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy, who was earlier announced as the combined candidate of TDP and Jana Sena, is having a mass following and is the most popular leader in the contest. TDP cadre are at fire for giving this seat to BJP, after first announcing him as their candidate.
Sensing anger among TDP cadre and poor presence of BJP in the cadre, the party has deputed a senior Mahila Morcha leader to Ramakrishna Reddy with a proposal to contest him as an independent candidate or join BJP to contest as BJP candidate. However, Reddy has bluntly refused the proposal and made it clear that at any cost he will not quit TDP.
Moreover, the BJP leadership is fearing that putting a weak candidate in Anaparthy will lead to the defeat of Rajamahendravaram Lok Sabha seat, from where party state president and former union minister D Purandeswari is contesting. As for the BJP winning more Lok Sabha seats is more crucial, than assembly seats, it is said to be rethinking on contesting from Anaparthy.
Meanwhile, he announced he will tour five days in the constituency seeking public opinion in this regard. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu has sent a five-member party team to discuss with him. The team consists of senior leaders Gorantla Butchaiah Chaudhary, Vegulla Jogeswara Rao, Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao and Ganni Krishna visited Nallamilli residence in Ramavaram village on Friday.
The leaders kept silent when Nallamilli Moola Reddy’s wife and Ramakrishna Reddy’s mother Satyavathy asked them, is it the treatment to be given to a family that has been standing behind TDP for 42 years? She recalled that when Chandrababu Naidu came to the house, when Moola Reddy was sick, promised to stand by their family.
When TDP leaders suggested Ramakrishna Reddy to meet Chandrababu in Vijayawada to discuss the issue, he politely refused stating that he is on a five-day tour in the constituency with his family members for the referendum campaign. t in the constituency. five days for the referendum campaign.
Later, TDP cadre stopped the group of leaders coming out of Nallamilli’s house, they assured that they will bring to the notice of the party leadership on the immense damage to be done if they lose Anaparthy seat. They expressed hope for some favourable change in two days.
