Andhra Pradesh: YSR Congress releases full list of candidates for 25 Lok Sabha, 175 Assembly constituencies

Amaravati: The main opposition in Andhra Pradesh, the YSR Congress, on Sunday released its full list of candidates for 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly constituencies in the state that will go to polls on 11 April. [caption id=“attachment_3985083” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of YSRC chief Jaganmohan Reddy. Reuters[/caption] Only two candidates, who were elected as party MPs in 2014, have been re-nominated while new candidates have been chosen by the party for the remaining 23 seats. YSRC dropped Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy and YV Subba Reddy, who represented Nellore and Ongole constituencies respectively, while Vara Prasad, who was Tirupati MP, has now been fielded for the Assembly from Gudur (SC) constituency. Modugula Venugopal Reddy, the TDP MLA who recently joined the YSRC, has been made the party candidate for the Guntur Lok Sabha seat. Former MP Vanga Geeta, who joined the YSRC only Saturday evening, is being fielded from Kakinada while MLC Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, who too joined the party Saturday night, will be fighting for the Ongole Lok Sabha seat. Srinivasulu Reddy represented Ongole in 2004 and 2009, but lost to the YSRC in 2014. Former minister B Durga Prasad, who defected from the TDP, has been chosen as the candidate for Tirupati (SC) seat. Adala Prabhakar Reddy, another defector from the TDP, has been nominated for the Nellore Lok Sabha seat. Reddy was selected as the TDP candidate for the Nellore Rural Assembly seat on Thursday but he joined the YSRC on Saturday. Businessman Potluri Vara Prasad (PVP), who is making his political debut, will be the candidate from Vijayawada parliamentary constituency. A former inspector of police Gorantla Madhav, who had a feud with TDP MP J C Diwakar Reddy in Anantapuramu district, has been fielded from Hindupur Lok Sabha segment. YSRC chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy released the list after paying homage to his late father and former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy at their family estate in Idupulapaya in Kadapa district. Of the 25 Lok Sabha candidates, seven were from the backward classes, four Scheduled Castes and one from Scheduled Tribes, Jagan said. Among the 175 assembly candidates, 41 belonged to the backward classes and five to the Muslim community, he added.