YSRC Yields to Anti-Narayana Swamy Lobby, Swaps Chittoor Leaders' Roles
Tirupati: The YSRC has swapped two of its senior leaders in Chittoor district, moving them from one seat to the other ahead of the 2024 assembly and general elections.
Chittoor MP, N Reddeppa, has been made the GD Nellore assembly segment as in-charge, while deputy CM, K Narayana Swamy, will move over to fight the Chittoor Lok Sabha seat. The sudden changes involving these veterans set off intense discussions within the party rank and file. Political observers see this as a win for the dissenting faction opposing deputy CM Narayana Swamy, who faced severe resistance from a group of YSRC leaders in GD Nellore.
"There was a strong anti-Swamy lobby in GD Nellore led by former MP Gnanender Reddy and Dayasagar Reddy. They made the going very difficult for him and warned the party leadership that Swamy would lose if he’s given a ticket there," revealed one YSRC insider.
Commenting on the development, a senior YSRC leader said, "The dissenters made it clear that if Swamy was nominated, he would lose, but a new candidate could win the seat. It seems the party has reconciled to this."“This shift clearly shows the party’s internal power dynamics is being reworked. The dissenting voices gained the upper hand over the deputy CM,” he stated.
Initially, it was speculated that Swamy would contest from GD Nellore as he enjoyed the backing of chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy. However, the final survey conducted by the YSRC among key leaders in the segment last week showed only Reddeppa or Rajesh, nephew of former minister Kuthuhalamma, could fit the bill. Significantly, Narayana Swamy's name was not even included in the electability survey.
Meanwhile, there are concerns within the party’s GD Nellore unit about the wisdom of the changes. This is more so as Reddeppa, who struggled to make an impact as the Chittoor MP, is now being parachuted into the GD Nellore assembly constituency. Some YSRC leaders are questioning his ability to win the seat, as he is not a ‘local’.
Expressing skepticism, a former YSRC leader stated, "Reddeppa's track record in Chittoor doesn't inspire confidence. He did not demonstrate a clout and mostly just accompanied Peddireddy's family to various events. Sending him to GD Nellore seems like a move to sideline Narayana Swamy rather than addressing the party's needs." He is a native of Punganur.
