Vijayawada: JSP dissident leader and aspirant for Avanigadda Assembly constituency Vikkurthi Srinivasa Rao on Sunday convened a meeting with his supporters in Avanigadda and stated he would announce his future course of action in 10 days on contesting the polls as an Independent candidate.
The JSP leader is not happy with the decision taken by party president Pawan Kalyan on offering the Avanigadda ticket to former TDP leader Mandali Buddha Prasad. Three-time MLA and senior politician Mandali Buddha Prasad will contest as the alliance candidate of the TDP, Jana Sena and BJP in Avanigadda of Krishna district.
The TDP had offered Avanigadda ticket to Jana Sena as part of the alliance. Jana Sena conducted local survey and almost got ready to announce the name of Vikkurthi Srinivasa Rao as the party candidate for Avanigadda constituency. But, all of a sudden, JSP has announced the name of Mandali Buddha Prasad after he quit the TDP and joined the Jana Sena.
Since then V Srinivasa Rao is distressed and finally convened a meeting with his followers in Avanigadda on Sunday. More than 1,000 of his supporters and Jana Sena functionaries attended the meeting in Avanigadda and extended their support. Srinivasa Rao told his supporters that he would take a decision within 10 days on contesting the polls as an Independent candidate.
Srinivasa Rao is the second JSP leader in erstwhile Krishna district disappointed with the decision taken by party chief Pawan Kalyan. In Vijayawada, JSP leader and aspirant for the West Assembly constituency Potina Venkata Mahesh quit the party and joined the YSRCP. Venkata Mahesh too was disappointed with the denial of ticket by the JSP chief to contest the ensuing polls. He made harsh comments against Pawan Kalyan at a press conference he held to announce that he was quitting the Jana Sena.
Avanigadda constituency is a strong bastion for Kapu leaders. Mandali Buddha Prasad is a prominent Kapu leader who was elected thrice to the State Assembly. The TDP had earlier denied the ticket to him and allotted Avanigadda seat to JSP as part of the seat sharing among the three parties in the alliance.
With just one month left for the polls the TDP, Jana Sena and BJP alliance candidates are facing the problems of dissidents in some constituencies.
The top leaders of the three parties have the responsibility to speak to the aspirants who could not be allotted tickets and pacify them. But, it has not happened in the case of Potina Venkata Mahesh. Consequently, Venkata Mahesh, who is one of the popular JSP leaders in the State, quit the party and joined the YSRCP just before the elections.
