In a bid to counter the anti-incumbency factor ahead of the simultaneous elections to the assembly and Lok Sabha, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy have dropped 14 of the 22 sitting MPs and nearly 50 per cent of 151 MLAs, bringing in fresh faces in their place.
Learning a lesson from the recent poll mandate in Telangana, where the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s gambit of renominating almost all its sitting legislators failed miserably, Jagan has opted for massive changes.
Though the move involves the risk of inviting rebellion from those who are denied party tickets, Jagan, seeking a second term in office, is keen to avoid what happened in the neighbouring state. After being in power for two terms, the BRS lost the election in Telangana, largely due to strong anti-incumbency against its sitting MLAs.
The YSRCP announced the list of its candidates at the “samadhi” (grave) of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy at Idupulupaya in Kadapa district.
Bapatla MP Nandigam Suresh read out the names of the candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, while state Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao did so for the Assembly polls.
Significantly, Jagan’s nephew and Kadapa MP Y S Avinash Reddy, who is facing allegations of involvement in the murder of their uncle Y S Vivekananda Reddy, has been renominated.
Notable among those who have been dropped are sitting Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanaryana, Gorantla Madhav from Hindupur, Chinta Anuradha from Amalapuram, Amalapuram, Araku MP Godeti Madhavi, Maragani Bharat Ram from Rajamahendravaram, Talari Rangaiah from Anantapur, and Magunta Srinivasulu from Ongole.
Rajya Sabha MP V Vijay Sai Reddy, a close confidant of Jagan, will contest from Nellore. Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana’s wife Botsa Jhani Laxmi will contest from Visakhapatnam. Former minister P Anil Kumar Yadav will contest from Narsaraopet.
There are 11 BC (Backward Classes) candidates, one ST (Scheduled Tribes), four SC (Scheduled Castes), and nine upper caste candidates in the list of nominees for the Lok Sabha polls, with the candidate for the Anakapalli seat yet to be announced.
For the Assembly elections, Jagan dropped 25 per cent of the sitting MLAs. In an unusual move, sitting MPs MVV Satyanarayana and Margani Bharat will now contest from the Visakhapatnam East and Rajamahendravam City Assembly seats.
Jagan will seek re-election from the Pulivendula assembly seat, his family bastion in the Kadapa district.
A Ramakrishna Reddy, who resigned from the YSRCP as the Mangalagiri MLA after sensing that he would not be renominated, has been replaced, even though he re-joined the party a few weeks after his exit. M Lavanya will contest in his place.
YSRCP sources said that about 50% of the total Lok Sabha and Assembly poll tickets — 16 LS constituencies and 84 Assembly seats – have gone to candidates from the BC/SC/ST and minority communities.
Compared to the 2019 polls, there is a significant increase in the representation of SC, ST, BC and minorities in the list, with these marginalised groups getting 11 more Lok Sabha tickets this time.
Out of the 175 Assembly tickets, 29 have gone to the nominees from SCs, seven to STs, 48 to BCs and 91 to the upper caste candidates. There are seven minority and 19 women candidates.
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