The internal bickering in YSRCP came to the fore when the sitting MLA from Nagari, R.K. Roja, submitted her nomination papers at Nagari on Friday. Ms. Roja submitted her papers accompanied by her husband Selvamani, son Kowshik, and brothers Kumaraswamy Reddy and Ramprasad Reddy and YSRCP MLA Byreddy Siddharth Reddy .
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However, the absence of former Municipal Chairman K.L. Shanti and her husband K.J. Kumar, Srisailam Trust Board chairman Reddyvari Chakrapani Reddy and Lakshmipati Raju of Vijayapuram, Puttur municipal member Elumalai, and their supporters, who vehemently opposed her candidature, was conspicuously felt.
While the absence of dissent leaders turned into a hot topic of discussion among the local voters, the presence of MPPs and ZPTCs of all the four mandals that fall under the limits of the constituency and the presence of Byreddy Siddharth Reddy of Nandikotkur brought a kind of solace to the party wrought with internal wrangles.
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It is not the first time she has faced dissent within her party. Even in the 2014 and 2019 elections, she had encountered similar situations but could successfully overcome them by reaching out to them in person and sorting out the issues. Despite all her good efforts, she won her elections with slender margins of 858 and 2,708 votes, respectively.
The present situation paints a grim picture with not only the element of bonhomie that existed during the previous elections ‘missing’ but also the dissent leaders going out of reach, despite her repeated attempts to contact them. The leaders who reportedly enjoy the blessings of a senior Minister from Chittoor district are also in no mood to give in, even if it means defying the party’s instructions for them.
It is in such a compelling situation that it remains to be seen how Roja, who is eyeing a hat-trick from her constituency, will wriggle out of the challenging situation and emerge victorious more so than ever, at a time when the ruling YSRCP and TDP-led BJP and Jana Sena alliance are considering the 2024 elections a ‘do or die’ battle.