As expected, Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu finalised the candidature of Venigandla Ramu, an NRI industrialist, to fight against firebrand YSR Congress party MLA Kodali Venkateshwara Rao alias Nani.
According to party sources, Naidu has shortlisted candidates for as many as 70 constituencies across the state, particularly focussing on the constituencies where the TDP has the chances of bouncing back.
Accordingly, he had chosen Venigandla Ramu, who had come down form the US and has been actively involved in the party activities for the last few months.
Apparently, Naidu felt that it required a lot of money power and influence to defeat a strong leader like Kodali Nani.
Initially, there were reports that the TDP chief might field his brother-in-law and NTR’s son Nandamuri Balakrishna from Gudivada instead from Hindupur, but for some reason, he did not want to take risk.
Till the other day, it was believed that the ticket would go to senior TDP leader Raavi Venkateshwar Rao, who has been nurturing the constituency.
But the TDP leadership felt he might not withstand the money and muscle power of Kodali Nani, who had defeated the former in the last elections.
Sources said Naidu and TDP’s Andhra unit president K Atchen Naidu held several rounds of talks with Raavi Venkateshwara Rao and convinced him to drop out in favour of Ramu.
Naidu is learnt to have promised Raavi that he would be given the MLC seat after the assembly elections.