TIRUPATI: The high-stakes Tirupati assembly constituency has become a bone of contention within the Telugu Desam, Jana Sena, and Bharatiya Janata Party, exposing deep fissures within the three opposition parties in AP.
Tensions escalated on Tuesday when former MLA and TD's in-charge for Tirupati M. Sugunamma, along with other senior leaders, made a forceful pitch at a party meeting about fielding a candidate from Tirupati itself.
The Tirupati TD leaders feel emboldened into taking their stand as the top Telugu Desam leadership has till now not officially confirmed whether Arani Srinivasulu, who has been actively campaigning as a candidate of Jana Sena, is the consensus choice of the opposition alliance.
Speaking to reporters, Sugunamma has continued to maintain that whoever it be, the Tirupati candidate of the opposition alliance must be a local person and resident of the temple town. But Arani Srinivasulu is a non-local. Further, he had joined JS after quitting YSRC.
Sugunamma maintains that nominating a local leader will bring in a groundswell of support for the opposition in a crucial seat.
Srinivasulu has staunchly refuted allegations of being a non-local. He underlines that he has been having a residence in Tirupati's Padmavathi Puram area since 2009. He is thus a bona fide local resident.
He went on to refute what he called the propaganda against him by various leaders. Addressing media on Tuesday, Arani declared, "I am not a covert member of YSRC. I have no lingering allegiance with the ruling party. My decision to join Jana Sena has been only motivated by my admiration for the principles espoused by JS leader Pawan Kalyan."
Srinivasulu swears that he will not betray the trust placed in him by the people of Tirupati, if they elect him as their representative.
He went on to accuse ruling YSRC of turning the sacred Tirupati city into a hub of illicit drug trade. "The irregularities committed by the current YSRC MLA and his son are public knowledge. I implore the citizens of Tirupati to reflect deeply and make me their elected representative. I vow to steer the city towards unprecedented progress and prosperity," Srinivasulu reiterated.
