Telugu Desam Party might have won the by-elections to Nandyal assembly seat using money, muscle and man power in August last, but it appears to be finding it difficult to win the forthcoming by-elections to MLC seat under Kurnool local bodies’ constituency.
The by-elections are being held following the resignation of Silpa Chakrapani Reddy, following his defection to the YSR Congress party just before the Nandyal assembly by-elections.
Chakrapani Reddy won the seat on the TDP ticket over the YSRC candidate Gouru Venkat Reddy by a slender margin of just 62 votes.
The TDP could win the seat though the YSRC had majority in the local bodies, only because then Nandyal and Allagadda MLAs Bhuma Nagi Reddy and Akhila Priya defected from YSRC to the TDP and his followers in the local bodies voted for the TDP.
Now, the situation is different. Though the TDP still appears to have a slender majority in the local bodies on paper, it is learn some of them might return to the YSRC fold. So, Naidu is apprehensive that there might be cross voting from the TDP in favour of YSRC candidate.
Apparently realising that it is a matter of prestige for him, the TDP chief held a meeting with senior party leaders from Kurnool, including MP Butta Renuka, who also defected from YSRC to the TDP.
He directed them to see that not a single vote from the TDP is shifted towards the YSRC candidate.
However, the YSRC is confident that it can scrape through the MLC elections. It all depends on who the party will field for the MLC elections, say sources.
