Vijayawada: The city may see new faces in politics in the New Year.
All political parties are allotting a significant number of tickets to newcomers as senior politicians are not interested in contesting the forthcoming elections due to the state’s bifurcation.
Moreover, the entry of the YSR Congress has hit the interests of several Congress leaders.
The Telugu Desam and YSRC selected new leaders as party constituency in-charges. The TD has appointed Kesineni Nani as the Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency chief.
The former tourist bus operator had joined the erstwhile Praja Rajya but did not contest an election.
At present, he is preparing to contest for the Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency on a TD ticket.
Similarly, local realtor Bonda Umamaheswara Rao is preparing to contest from the Vijayawada Central constituency, on a TD ticket.
The young realtor has no political background, yet he is supervising party activities as the in-charge of the Central constituency.
TD Urban president, Buddha Venkanna, is seeking to represent Vijayawada West constituency. He too has never contested an election.
TD urban youth president, Devineni Chandra Sekhar is seeking a ticket from Penamaluru.
The YSRC already has several new leaders who are likely to get tickets for the Vijayawada Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies.
According to party sources, the YSRC may field an industrialist from Vijayawada.
Former minister Devineni Nehru’s son Devineni Avinash may also enter politics in the forthcoming elections.
The rumour is that he may contest from the Vijayawada East constituency.
Two families have ruled city politics for the last three decades. Former legislator Devineni Rajasekhar (Nehru) has been elected five times, and Vangaveeti Mohan Ranga and members of his family have won four times. Both families however lost in the last Assembly elections.
The the two Left parties, the CPI and the CPM that once were a significant presence in city politics, have been sidelined.
