The Hindu : Parties intensify search for suitable candidates

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 02, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Parties intensify search for suitable candidates

By our Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI, FEB. 1. With the political atmosphere hotting up for the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the two key players in the ring - Telugu Desam Party and the Congress -- are intensifying their hunt for winning horses. Both the TDP and the Congress have some constituencies in the district where there is no hitch over prospective candidates -- mostly the sitting members. Similarly both of them have certain constituencies which are problematic in the sense that they either have too many contenders or no candidates which eventually is making the job of the poll managers tough. For instance in Kuppam, the high profile constituency of the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu. Though the Congress is apparently putting up a brave face that it has no dearth of candidates this time to be pitted against the formidable rival, it does not seem to have any candidate worth the name among the known faces for the slot. The party is said to be toying with the idea of fielding a new face, who at the same time could give a semblance of a fight in the contest. One such name doing rounds is that of a Kuppam-based lady doctor who, besides coming from a political family, belongs to the Backward Classes category which constituted nearly 60 per cent of the 1.9 lakh voters in the once backward but a hi-tech seat at present. Congress poll managers claim that they perceived a strong anti-incumbency feeling among voters especially the poor and the down-trodden. It is this factor that Congress leaders are expecting to turn the tide against Mr. Chandrababu Naidu in his constituency. Further the proposed candidate also belonged to a particular sect of the BC which is a force to reckon with in the constituency. Since her husband also is a doctor, party sources feel that the doctor couple with nearly two decades of standing in the town enjoyed a fairly good clout among locals and in the surrounding villages which could be an added advantage.

The TDP is said to be angling for the actress, Roja, to be pitted against the Congress strongman and official spokesperson, G. Muddukrishnama Naidu at Puttur as the sitting incumbent, R. Rajasekhar Reddy is sick after he suffered serious brain injuries in the Alipiri.

The TDP is having problem with regard to other constituencies like Chandragiri, Chittoor and Vepanjeri. As for Chandragiri, it is yet to find a suitable candidate to fill the void created by Mr. Ramamurthy Naidu who quit the TDP and joined the Congress. While it is severe infighting in Vepanjeri it is one of too many claimants in Chittoor. Similarly for the Congress, it has problems at the moment with Tirupati, Madanapalle and Srikalahasti. While the first two suffered from the problem of group rivalries, in Srikalahasti, the constituency of the district Minister, B. Gopalaksirhna Reddy the situation is fluid with rumours being rife that a strong TDP leader opposed to the Minister might be roped in Congress and fielded against the Minister taking advantage of their strife.

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Andhra Pradesh