VIJAYAWADA: Ongole MLA Balineni Srinivas Reddy continues to ’embarrass’ YSRC leadership

Vijayawada: Former minister and Ongole MLA Balineni Srinivas Reddy is said to have expressed his dissatisfaction over Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy being considered by the YSRC for the Ongole Lok Sabha seat.

Selecting a strong candidate for Ongole Lok Sabha seat has become a tough task for YSRC. The five-time MLA and former minister is insisting that sitting MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy be given the seat once again, but the party leadership is reportedly thinking of some other alternative leader.

The party leadership, including Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, reportedly held several meetings with Balineni and tried to convince him that his MLA seat was safe, but wanted him not to insist on Magunta’s candidature.

Balineni was reportedly assured that he would be given a chance to contest the elections as an MLA. The party does not have any strong alternative leader to contest the elections as Balineni has been winning the seat since 1999 except in 2014 and has made a strong ground for himself in the region. With the party leadership beginning the exercise of appointing in-charges, there were reports that Balineni could be replaced.

However, the party is unable to find any strong leader and has kept the announcement on hold. On the other hand, Balineni is trying to give his son a political debut from any assembly constituency in Prakasam district.

Like many other Lok Sabha constituencies, there was not much interest from party leaders to contest the Ongole seat and the party was finding it difficult to focus on a strong leader. Sources said the party considered several leaders who would fit the contest, but Balineni reportedly did not approve of any of them.

Just a few days ago, Balineni, after meeting senior leaders in Tadepalli, had said that he had left the decision to the high command. However, as soon as the party appointed Chevireddy as the regional coordinator of Ongole parliamentary seat and three other assembly constituencies under it, there were reports that the Chandragiri MLA would be fielded from the LS constituency. The party had already declared Chevireddy’s son Mohit Reddy in-charge of his assembly seat.