Naidu’s List: Will there be a place for Nara Lokesh?

Departing from the earlier style of releasing a list of candidates after the election schedule was released, Telugu Desam Party supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu has begun announcing the list of candidates for few key segments and is expected to declare 100 candidates out of 175 before the schedule is announced. However, the first list has no mention of Naidu’s son and state’s Information Technology minister Nara Lokesh.

Following his bete noire K Chandrasekhar Rao’s model of early release of names so that the candidates have ample time to campaign, Naidu officially released few and hinted on few seats. Prominent among the assembly list: Nandamuri Balakrishna (Hindupur), P. Narayana (Nellore) DL Ravindra Reddy (Mydukur), Ramasubba Reddy (Jammalamadaga), K.E. Krishnamurthy (Prathikonda), Nallari Kishor Kumar Reddy (Former CM Kirankumar Reddy’s brother) (Pileru).

Ashok Gajapati Raju (Vizianagaram-LS), K Rammohan Naidu (Srikakulam-LS), Kesineni Nani (Vijayawada), Galla Jayadev (Guntur-LS), and C Adinarayana Reddy (Kadapa) were among few selected candidates for Loksabha.

Amaravati to host

The ruling party is weighing the option of fielding Nara Lokesh who is representing legislative council from an Assembly constituency where his victory must be a bygone conclusion. Considered as a political novice Lokesh requires acceptance of as a man of masses in this election so that Naidu can play a wider role in national politics.

Even as Naidu was keen on contesting one more time from Kuppam, party cadre from Amaravati capital region has recently met Naidu and urged him to contest from the capital so that Lokesh can represent his father’s constituency. Kuppam with a considerable number of “Kamma” (Naidu’s caste) votes is considered a safe place for Lokesh.

Pedakurapadu MLA Kommalapati Sreedhar has said that he is willing to sacrifice his seat for either Naidu or his son to contest from his constituency. Party sources says that Sridhar will be nominated for council instead. There were invitations for Lokesh from North Andhra and other parts of Rayalaseema to contest in the ensuing assembly elections.

Fate of Defected Candidates

Among 23 YSRCP legislators who have defected to ruling party four were taken into Naidu’s cabinet and all the four Adi Narayana Reddy, Amarnath Reddy, Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao and Bhuma Akhila Priya are sure of getting renominated. However, the name of Bhuma Akhila Priya the state tourism minister needs an official nod. 19 other defected MLAs were unsure of their political future.