The ruling YSR Congress party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, March 16 released its full list of candidates for the 25 parliamentary constituencies and 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s cousin YS Avinash Reddy, the chief accused in the murder of their uncle, former Kadapa MP YS Vivekananda Reddy, will contest again from the Kadapa parliamentary seat. Vivekananda’s family has alleged that Jagan has been shielding Avinash and his father Bhaskar Reddy who are both accused in the murder case.
The list of candidates was released in the presence of CM Jagan at his father and former CM YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s resting place in Kadapa district’s Idupulapaya. In Ongole and Narasapuram, where YSRCP MPs recently defected, the party is fielding Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and Guduri Uma Bala (from the Setti Balija community).
Among the other popular names is state Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana’s wife, Botsa Jhansi, who will be fielded as the Visakhapatnam MP candidate. Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) who quit TDP in January 2024 will contest from the Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat, and Poluboina Anil Kumar Yadav will contest from Narasaraopet constituency.
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In the Assembly elections, YSRCP is fielding several of its incumbent leaders. YSRCP leaders Kodali Nani will be fielded from Gudivada, Vallabhaneni Vamsi from Gannavaram, Jogi Ramesh from Penamuluru, Ambati Rambabu from Sattenpalli, Mekapati Rajagopal Reddy from Udayagiri and Mekapati Vikram Reddy from Atmakur.
Duvvada Srinivas will contest against TDP politburo member Achchennaidu in Tekkali, Murugudu Lavanya against TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh in Mangalagiri, Vanga Geeta against Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan in Pithapuram while Krishna Raghava Jayendra Bharat will take on TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu in Kuppam constituency.
In Vizag, where TDP won in the South, North, East and West segments in 2019, the YSRCP is fielding Vasupalli Ganesh (BC, Vadabalija), Kammila Kannaparaju (Forward Caste, Kshatriya), MVV Satyanarayana (Forward Caste, Kamma) and Adari Anand (BC Gavara). Aside from Kammila Kannaparaju who also lost to TDP candidate Ganta Srinivas Rao in 2019, the remaining three are newer candidates.
The YSRCP is fielding 19 Kapu candidates in the Assembly polls, and three Kapu candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.