YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who has kept the Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat pending while announcing the list of candidates for all the remaining 24 MP seats, on Tuesday announced the name of deputy chief minister Budi Muthyala Naidu for the seat.
Muthyala Naidu, who belongs to Koppula Velama caste, was originally named for his original assembly seat Madugula. Jagan, who has been waiting for the NDA allies to name their candidate for Anakapalli LS seat, zeroed in on Muthyala Naidu as the suitable candidate to take on BJP candidate C M Ramesh, who is also from the same community.
According to sources, Jagan initially thought of picking up a Backward Classes candidate for Anakapalli seat. Though sitting MP Beesetti Venkata Satyavathi is also a BC candidate, surveys indicate that she might lose the seat. Another BC leader P Rama Kumari was also not interested in contesting the elections.
As a result, Jagan picked up Budi Muthyala Naidu for the Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat. In his place, his daughter Eerla Anuradha has been chosen as the YSRCP MLA candidate for the Madugula seat.