Fear of defeat seems to be haunting the most controversial MLA in erstwhile Krishna district, Vallabhaneni Vamsi from Gannavaram, who filed his nomination as YCP candidate Thursday. For the first time enacting sentiment drama so as to win his political opponents within the party.
In 2019 after winning as TDP MLA, he jumped into the ruling party YCP, though technically remained as TDP MLA. But local YCP cadre in Gannavaram hardly associated with him. Now as TDP is gaining strength and even Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy attempts to convince original YCP leaders failed to get him support, he is seen to be worried.
While filing his nomination, announcing that this will be his last election, Vamsi attempted to play the sentiment card. Moreover, he named Ungatur ZPTC Dutta Sitamahalakshmi as his successor stating that next time she will be a YCP candidate from here. She is the daughter of influential YCP leader Gannavaram Dutta Ramachandra Rao, a close associate of YS family and severely opposing Vamsi style of politics from the very beginning.
Everyone knows that this is a clever move by Vamsi to garner support of his strong opponents within YCP. However, Ramachadnra Rao seems to be determined to oppose Vamsi. Very recently, during his Bus Yatra Jagan Mohan Reddy tried to pacify differences between Vamsi and Ramachandra Rao by summoning both of them to his bus. He advised them to work together. But Dutta seemed indifferent then also.
Sensing indications of his defeat in the constituency, Vamsi realised that without Ramachandra Rao’s support it would be a difficult task for him to come out from the present election. So, first he tried to reach Rao’s son-in-law Shivabharat Reddy. He succeeded in getting his support.
However, Ramachandra Rao is said to be unable to forget Vamsi’s attempts to crush the political influence of his family for the last five years.
After the YCP came to power, local bodies elections were held in 2021. Dutta Sitamahalakshmi was elected as ZPTC from Unguturu. As ZP Chairperson post was reserved for women, Rao tried his daughter’s candidature as Kapu women, for which CM Jagan also showed interest.
However, both Vamsi and Gudivada MLA Kodali Nani together plotted that and brought Gudivada ZPTC Uppala Harika into focus. They feared that if Sitamahalakshmi became ZP chairperson, she would become a powerful MLA candidate in 2024. Since then, Vamsi succeeded in preventing the Dutta family from getting any position in the government.