The selection of candidates in the ruling YSR Congress party for the upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh continues to spring surprises on the party candidates and also cadre, as party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is experimenting with the list, going by caste considerations.
According to the latest reports, Jagan is likely to give rude shock to senior party leader and former minister Kodali Venkateshwara Rao alias Nani in Gudivada assembly constituency by dropping him from the list.
The reports said various surveys commissioned by Jagan and Indian Political Action Committee indicated that Kodali Nani might lose the assembly elections from Gudivada this time due to strong anti-incumbency against him.
The surveys reportedly indicated that the YSRCP has a chance of retaining the seat, if Kodali is replaced by a suitable candidate. Since Kammas of the area are inclining towards TDP candidate, mostly Yarlagadda Venkat Rao, Jagan is learnt to have decided to field a Kapu candidate to grab the Gudivada seat.
As if lending credence to these reports, posters and flex boards of YSRCP district unit vice-president Mandali Hanumantha Rao have surfaced overnight all over Gudivada, extending congratulations to him.
There is a hush talk within the YSRCP that Hanumantha Rao got a call from Jagan and his name is likely to be finalised soon.
Known to be a staunch loyalist of Jagan, Hanumantha Rao hails from Kapu community and has a good name of being a non-controversial person.
The social media was agog with the speculations that he would replace Kodali Nani as the Gudivada candidate of YSRCP. He has already getting congratulatory messages, sources said.
It remains to be seen whether Jagan will really drop Kodali Nani and if he does, what Nani is going to do in the coming days.
