Known for his use-and-throw attitude, Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has shown an empty hand to the family of former assembly speaker late Kodela Sivaprasada Rao.
Naidu announced the name of former Congress minister Kanna Lakshminarayana as the party in-charge of Sattenapalli assembly constituency in Palnadu district, thereby confirming the TDP ticket to him in the next assembly elections.
All these days, it was Kodela Sivaram, son of Sivaprasad Rao, who has been nurturing the constituency, hoping that he would be given the party ticket.
He has been holding meetings with the party leaders and cadre and touring the constituency regularly to win the confidence of the people.
At the same time, another senior TDP leader and former MLC Y V Anjaneyulu was also pinning hopes on getting the party ticket from Sattenapalli, if Sivaram doesn’t get. But Naidu ignored him, too, and preferred Kanna.
Apparently, the TDP chief has come to a conclusion that only a strong Kapu leader of the stature of Kanna Lakshminarayana, can defeat sitting YSRC MLA and state minister Ambati Rambabu in Sattenapalli.
“A Kamma leader like Shivaram might not be able to take on Ambati Rambabu. Moreover, Sattenapalli is dominated by Kapus and so, Kanna will be a perfect contender against Ambati,” a TDP leader said.
However, Naidu’s decision to make Kanna the in-charge of Sattenapalli caused a lot of disgruntlement in Kodela camp. Shivaram reacted cautiously, saying he was hopeful of getting the TDP ticket from the constituency, though Kanna was made the in-charge.
“I shall wait till the declaration of party tickets,” he said.
Kanna said if he gets the ticket, he would certainly win the seat and gift it to Naidu. He admitted that his choice has caused disillusionment in some leaders.
“But I don’t have personal enmity with anybody. I shall take all of them into confidence and work for the party,” he said.
Kanna said he had a strong association with Sattenapalli.
“So, I know the problems associated with the constituency,” he said.