YSR Congress In AP Geared For Assembly Elections

YSR Congress is slowly pulling up its socks by nominating in-charges for all Assembly constituencies. In the first phase, the party appointed in-charges to all Assembly constituencies in North Coastal Andhra districts. More or less, these in-charges will be the party nominees for the next Assembly elections.

This will enable them to build the organisation structure up to the grassroots level. Party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy finalised the list of nominees and handed it over to the party leaders during one of their mulaqats. Similarly, he embarked on this exercise of calculating several Assembly constituencies in other regions also.

The five Lok Sabha constituencies in North Coastal Andhra also got in-charges on behalf of the party. Interestingly, they do not belong to the constituencies which they would be overseeing in their capacity of in-charge. For instance, Kumbha Ravi Babu, a former MLA from S Kota Assembly constituency, is the in-charge fo Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency, while another person is appointed for Anakapalle Lok Sabha seat.

This means, the party has two to three options with regard to Lok Sabha constituencies. Once Sabbam Hari joins the party formally, he may become the nominee from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency. The party might choose some one else from Anakapalle Lok Sabha seat.

The permutations and combinations considering the local equations may change as and when required. However, for now, the tentative list is published with the constituency-level in-charges. They will also be responsible for building the party organisation up to polling station level so that they can have a complete grip over the voters.

The party president is also said to have given a ‘B’ list to a confidante, so that if at all the Government makes any attempt to implicate anyone in any litigation, the dormant candidates would come up in the last minute as the party nominees. For, the party leadership is said to be under the impression that media that is relentlessly indulging in smear campaign, the Telugu Desam Party and, of course, the ruling Congress might not leave anything to chance to spite the YSR Congress.

Informed sources said that the list of Telangana is also ready. But it is only a conjecture of time before it is announced. Plus, the party chief is said to be working on the lose ends. As regards Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra, the list of aspirants is too long for several constituencies and any hasty decision would distance some powerful leaders who joined the party fold.

The entry of a powerful and influential leader into the party would do good to the party, but the loss of a less significant leader does a greater damage too. Therefore, the lists are being vetted and consolidated keeping these issues in  view, said the party sources.

Aside from this, a list of  35 persons (mostly from TDP and some from the Congress) has been prepared and the party would deploy maximum resources in these constituencies to ensure that the targeted leaders are defeated at the hustings. Against this background, senior leaders of other parties are scouting for safer seats or safer alternatives in the form of assurances on their positions after the elections.

Now, the party is asking the newly-appointed in-charges to submit weekly reports on  the strengthening and consolidation at every polling station level. One senior person in every constituency would act as that ‘father figure’ to hammer out any differences. Besides, the party’s central headquarters is also constituting a team of seniors to keep a watch on the constituencies and address any differences.