In a surprising development, YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday issued orders promoting former minister Kurasala Kanna Babu as the YSRCP regional coordinator for the north-Andhra districts.
Kanna Babu, a trusted aide of Jagan, has so far been serving as the party’s Kakinada district unit president. In his place, the party chief appointed former Tuni MLA Dadisetti Ramalingeshwara Rao, also known as Dadisetti Raja, as the new Kakinada district president.
Until now, the YSRCP north-Andhra regional coordinator post was held by senior leaders and close confidants of Jagan, such as V Vijay Sai Reddy and Y V Subba Reddy.
For Kanna Babu, a journalist-turned-politician, this appointment is a significant promotion, giving him control of the party’s activities across the crucial north-Andhra region, which comprises the combined districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam.
However, the appointment has come as a shock to senior leaders like Y V Subba Reddy and Botsa Satyanarayana, who were vying for the regional coordinator position to strengthen their influence in the region.
There were also recent speculations that senior Rayalaseema leader Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, who has grown close to Jagan in recent years, was lobbying for the same post.
Given this backdrop, Kanna Babu’s appointment to such a crucial role has surprised many within the party. It remains to be seen whether he can successfully manage the responsibility and coordinate effectively with senior leaders in the region.
