Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is said to be following some strict guidelines in the selection of candidates for the ensuing assembly and Lok Sabha elections, based on the feedback from his political strategists and party network.
One rule that Naidu has decided to follow in the coming elections is that one family associated with the party would get only one ticket.
This is applicable to both the Lok Sabha and the assembly elections and even for seniors who have been associated with the party right from the beginning.
According to the TDP sources, Naidu has been making it clear to every senior in the party, irrespective of their stature. Of course, it is not applicable to the Naidu family, since he, his son Nara Lokesh and brother-in-law Nandamuri Balakrishna would be contesting in their respective constituencies.
But for others, only one ticket would be given per family.
For example, he told the Paritala family that either Paritala Sunitha or her son Paritala Sriram would be given the ticket. At present, Sunitha is looking after Raphtadu and Sriram Dharmavaram assembly constituencies.
In Kurnool district, similar message was given to the Kotla family.
While Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy wants to contest from Kurnool Lok Sabha seat, his wife Sujatha wants the ticket from Aluru assembly seat. Naidu told them that only one of them would get the ticket.
Similarly, the TDP chief offered to give the party ticket to former minister K E Krishna Murthy’s son K E Syambabu or brother K E Prabhakar from Patthikonda assembly constituency.
In Kadapa, too, Naidu said he can accommodate either Reddappagari Srinivas Reddy or his wife Madhavi. While Srinivas Reddy wants to contest from Kadapa LS seat, Madhavi wants the party ticket from Kadapa assembly seat. His brother Ramesh Kumar Reddy also wants the ticket from Rayachoti.
In Kurnool district, the Bhuma family was told categorically that it would get only one ticket –Akhila Priya from Allagadda. In Nandyal, the TDP chief is fielding former minister N M D Farooq.
Going by that rule, Naidu should give only one ticket to Kinjarapu family in Srikakulam district. While K Atchannaidu is representing Tekkali assembly constituency, his nephew K Rammohan Naidu is representing Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency. It is not known whether they would get any exemption.
But the TDP chief is making it clear to the families that it is for them to decide which one of the family members should contest the elections.
