Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) had stormed to power with a sweeping majority in the 2019 elections, bagging as many as 151 seats. YS Jagan who is also the president of the YSRCP, has now announced new in-charges for 11 constituencies, keeping in mind the the performance of MLAs he was replacing, it has been stated. And the new in-charges will be the party’s candidates for those respective seats.
These newly appointed in-charges will assume their responsibilities on Tuesday, December 12. The development also comes almost five months before the state and Lok Sabha polls that will be held next year, and the YSRCP wants to counter any anti-incumbency sentiments that might be building up against sitting MLAs.
YS Jagan has asserted several times that his party would go all out to increase its tally this time, winning as many as 175 constituencies. It is also hinted by sources that the party might eventually change as many as 40 legislators.
Announcing the names of new appointees, YSRCP leader Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, said, “The decision was made based on the assessment of the reviews of the performance and was not a whim of the Chief Minister. There is nothing to hide… If someone who worked with us is affected by our decisions, we will try to hold discussions with them and try to work as a team. Our goal is to win with a better majority and serve the people of Andhra Pradesh again.”
On Monday, December 11, the party announced names of the new incharges. The changes have been affected broadly in the erstwhile Guntur district.
It may be noted that Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna resigned from the Legislative Assembly a few hours before the party announcement. Ganji Chiranjeevi, who lost to Ramakrishna Reddy from the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and later defected to YSRCP, has been named as the incharge of the Mangalagiri Constituency.
Meanwhile,Gajuwaka in-charge Tippala Devan Reddy, son of sitting MLA Tippala Nagireddy, and who defeated Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan in 2019, also resigned from the party on Monday. Varikuti Ramachandra Rao, has been allotted Gajuwaka constituency in his stead..
For the Prathipadu (SC) assembly constituency, presently represented by Home minister Mekathoti Sucharita, the party is nominating Balasani Kiran Kumar as the party in-charge. Sucharita has been allocated Tadikonda (SC) constituency, in place of sitting MLA Undavalli Sridevi, who was suspended by the party and who later defected to the opposition Telugu Desam Party.
Adimulapu Suresh, now representing the Yerragondapalem assembly constituency, is being moved to the Kondepi (SC) constituency. However, the in-charge for Yerragondapalem constituency has not been named yet.
Merugu Nagarjuna has been shifted from his present constituency of Vemuru (SC) and appointed in-charge of Santhanuthalapadu (SC) constituency, where TJR Sudhakar Babu is the sitting MLA.
Another major minister Vidadala Rajini, who is the MLA of Chilakaluripeta constituency, has been assigned Gutur west and replaced by Mallela Rajesh Naidu. No in-charge has been nominated for Guntur west, where the sitting MLA is Giridhar Rao. He won 2019 elections from the TDP but later shifted to YSRCP.
Panem Hanimi Reddy has been named the in-charge of Pedakurapadu constituency. He will replace MLA Namburu Shankar Rao in the elections.
Evuru Ganesh has been assigned the Repalle constituency which is now represented by TDP MLA Anagani Satya Prasad
According to political observers, Telangana election results might have had a significant impact in the latest moves of the YSRCP. “The defeat of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) can be attributed majorly to KCR’s being adamant of not changing and retaining several MLAs. The public were unhappy with their MLAs and not with KCR’s governance,” political analyst Professor K Nageshwar Rao said. According to sources, the YSRCP would make more changes in the future in up to 40 constituencies in total.
Meanwhile, TDP polit bureau Bonda Umamaheswara Rao attacked YSRCP’s decision in a press meet on Tuesday and questioned how the MLA’s who did not perform well in their constituencies would win in another constituency. “YSRCP has given up on its hopes to win three months before elections, and their MLAs who are aware of this are resigning,” he claimed.