YSR Congress Party announces first list of candidates for 9 Lok Sabha seats

The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) late on Saturday evening announced the first list of candidates for nine constituencies for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

The list consists of --Araku constituency, Amalapuram constituency, Anantapur constituency, Bapatla constituency, Kurnool constituency, Hindupur constituency, Chittoor constituency, Kadapa constituency, and Rajampet constituency.

YSRCP leader Madhavi will contest from Araku constituency, Anuradha from Amalapuram constituency, Talari Rangaiah from Anantapur constituency, Nandigam Suresh from Bapatla constituency, Sanjeev Kumar from Kurnool constituency, Gorantla Madav from Hindupur constituency, Reddppa from Chittoor constituency, YS Avinash Reddy from Kadapa constituency, and PV Midun Reddy from Rajampet constituency.

The list comes on the heels of several TDP leaders defecting to YSRCP on Saturday. Four top Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders joined the party, a day after Zee News reported on Friday that they are eyeing a ticket from the YSRCP.

Former MLA from Pithapuram Vanga Geetha, senior TDP leader Adala Prabhakar Reddy, former TDP MLC Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and Butta Renuka joined the YSRCP, in a major blow to the TDP which is already battling a rough tide. Gedela Srinubabu also joined the party. He was the Jana Sena Party (JSP) Vishakapatnam MP candidate.

The development comes at the backdrop of the death of Y S Vivekananda Reddy, former minister and younger brother of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister M Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. He was found dead at his house in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh on Friday.

With hardly a month to go for the April 11 Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls, the incident sparked a political slugfest between the opposition YSR Congress and the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with both trading allegations holding each other responsible for the killing of the 68-year-old leader.