Hectic parleys before first list

While the first list of the TDP, with 115 names for the Assembly and 5 for the Loksabha, is out and making rounds on social media, the rest of the names are expected to be out before March 16.

This is to facilitate party chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu to embark on a hectic poll campaign from Srikakulam in north coastal Andhra after he offers prayers in Tirumala. Naidu always starts his campaign after having darshan in Tirumala.

The regional party is finding it difficult to set things right with some of the sitting MPs unwilling to contest and instead opting for Assembly seats.

In a few places, turncoat MLAs from other parties are facing the local cadre's ire and in a few places TDP's sitting MLAs have jumped to the Opposition YSRCP.

Naidu had completed a review of all 25 parliamentary constituencies a day before ECI declared the elections. He is talking to disgruntling elements personally and assuring them that their future will be taken care of by the party.

With hundreds of aspirants and their followers flocking the riverfront residence of the chief minister in Undavalli in Amaravati, the area had a festive look.

As the day for nominations is fast approaching, the movement from YSR Congress to TDP and vice versa has picked up momentum.

YSCRP's Vangaveeti Radha, son of slain Congress leader Vangaveeti Ranga, was taken to Naidu by former MP Lagadapati Rajagopal to lobby for the Vijayawada seat.

Former CBI Joint Director Lakshminarayana is interested in joining the TDP, while TDP Kakinada MP Tota Narsimham is quitting the TDP and joining YSRCP.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has canceled all announced party meetings and is concentrating on selection of candidates at his Lotus Pond residence here.

The Janasena and Left parties are negotiating on seat adjustment and will soon come up with the first list of 32 candidates for the Assembly and 7 candidates for the Lok Sabha. Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan declared the names of two candidates DMR Sekhar for Amalapuram MP seat and Akula Satyanarayana from Rajamahendravarm LS.

The Congress is facing severe shortage of candidates, while a few senior leaders in the BJP are also proposing that they better stay away from the polls this time.