It appears that senior YSR Congress party legislator Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, also known as RK, might not contest against Telugu Desam Party’s Nara Lokesh in the upcoming 2024 assembly elections. Sources within the YSRC party indicate that RK is grappling with significant anti-incumbency in his current Mangalagiri constituency.
Despite his contributions in exposing land scandals and embarrassing TDP leaders, the party seems reluctant to risk a possible defeat for RK. To address this situation, YSRC chief Jagan Reddy is apparently considering relocating RK to the neighboring Bapatla assembly constituency. The current MLA of Bapatla, Kona Raghupathi, is facing both anti-incumbency sentiment and internal party conflicts.
This scenario provides Jagan with an opportunity to move RK to Bapatla, replacing Raghupathi. In Mangalagiri, Jagan is contemplating fielding a prominent leader from the padmashali (weaver) community to contest against Lokesh.
Notable options include former MLAs Kandru Kamala and Murugudu Hanumantha Rao, along with recent YSRCP defector Ganji Chiranjeevi. Chiranjeevi, known for his influence within the community, seems to be a likely candidate. The eventual outcome of this electoral maneuvering remains to be seen, particularly in the context of Lokesh’s challenge.