Now that the YSR Congress party conquered Kuppam by decimating the Telugu Desam Party in all the local elections, right from gram panchayats to municipality, its next target is obviously the next assembly elections.
YSRC president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is hell bent on defeating his bête noire TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu in the latter’s own turf.
If he can ensure the defeat of Naidu in the next assembly elections, his ultimate objective will be achieved.
So, even before the results of the Kuppam municipal elections are declared, Jagan has started working out strategies for the next assembly elections.
He initially thought of grooming K R J Bharat, son of late K Chandramouli, retired IAS officer who contested against Naidu twice in Kuppam on YSRC ticket.
He made Bharat the party in-charge of Kuppam assembly constituency, but later realised that he might not be the right candidate to fight against Chandrababu Naidu in the next elections.
So, he gave the MLC ticket to Bharat and decided to find another candidate for Kuppam. He entrusted the responsibility of grooming alternative leadership in Kuppam to his trusted lieutenant and panchayat raj minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy.
In the just concluded municipal elections, it was Peddireddy who pulled out all stops to secure a victory for the YSRC in Kuppam.
So, he developed a lot of confidence in the leadership of Peddireddy and realised that only his family would be able to finish off the political career of Chandrababu Naidu.
But Peddireddy’s son Mithun Reddy is already an MP and has been holding other responsibilities given by the party. He cannot be shifted from Rajampet to Kuppam. So, Jagan needs another person from the same family.
Sources said Jagan is considering the name of Peddireddy Sudhir Reddy, son of the minister’s younger brother.
Sudhir is already a party in-charge of Somala mandal of Punganur constituency. But in the recent municipal elections in Kuppam, he played an active role in fetching victory for the party.
Since he is young and enthusiastic, Sudhir Reddy can be groomed into a potential leader in Kuppam. It remains to be seen how far he would live up to the expectations of Jagan.