In a surprising development, YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday night announced the candidature of party general secretary and Rajya Sabha member V Vijay Sai Reddy for the Nellore Lok Sabha seat.
In a short ninth list, the party president named newly-inducted retired IAS officer Imtiaz Ahmed as the party candidate for Kurnool assembly seat and Murugudu Lavanya, daughter of former MLA Murugudu Hanumantha Rao, as the candidate for Mangalagiri.
Of these three, Sai Reddy’s name came as a big surprise, not only for the party leaders, but also for the Indian Political Action Committee team which has never anticipated the development, sources said.
For, Sai Reddy has never fought any direct election and has not held any post that has direct connections with the people. Though he is also from Nellore, his most of the activity was in Visakhapatnam and New Delhi.
Sources said Jagan considered various names for the Nellore seat after the defection of Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy to the Telugu Desam Party.
He might have thought the party needs a prominent face, not only to give fillip to the party cadre but also to take on the TDP.
However, there is also another talk in the party that Sai Reddy’s name was announced only a strategic move to create confusion among the TDP ranks and there is every possibility that he might announce another name in the last moment.
“Maybe, it is a standby arrangement. Jagan is known for making last minute changes. Who knows Sai Reddy’s name might also be dropped at the eleventh hour once Jagan finds a suitable candidate,” sources added.