The YSR Congress Party on Saturday announced candidates for all 175 Assembly seats and 24 Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, dropping a majority of the sitting MPs.
YSR Congress president and Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy announced the candidates after paying tributes to his late father and former chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy at Idupulapaya in Kadapa district.
The ruling party has kept the announcement pending for only Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat.
YSRCP, which had bagged 151 Assembly and 22 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, is locked in a direct tough fight with TDP-BJP-JSP alliance this time.
Barring seven sitting MPs, the YSRCP has either dropped the remaining or shifted them to Assembly seats. Similarly, the party has dropped more than 60 sitting MLAs or fielded them for Lok Sabha polls or changed their Assembly seats.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, who will be seeking re-election from Pulivendula Assembly constituency, told media persons that he is happy that YSRCP has ensured social justice in ticket distribution by allotting 50 per cent of the tickets to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Castes and Minorities.
He called this a historic development in the history of Andhra Pradesh politics.
Out of 200 seats (MLA plus MP), 50 per cent seats (84 MLA, 16 MP) have been given to BC/SC/ST/Minority communities, the party said.
YSRCP parliamentary party leader and member of Rajya Sabha V. Vijaya Sai Reddy will contest for Lok Sabha from Nellore.
Jagan Mohan Reddy also retained the sitting MP and his cousin Y. S. Avinash Reddy from Kadapa despite the allegations against him in the murder of his uncle and former minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy.
Kesineni Srinivas (Nani), who was elected to Lok Sabha from Vijayawada on TDP ticket in 2019 and recently crossed over to YSRCP, has been named as the candidate from the same constituency.
Former minister P. Anil Kumar Yadav, who was representing Nellore Assembly constituency, will contest for Narasaraopet Lok Sabha seat
Senior leader and minister Botsa Satyanarayana’s wife Botsa Jhansi Laxmi has been named as the candidate from Visakhapatnam in place of sitting MP M. V. V. Satyanarayana.
For the Assembly elections, the YSRCP has given 29 tickets to SCs, seven to STs, 48 to BCs, 91 to OCs and seven to minorities. Compared to 2019, the party has given seven tickets more to SC/ST/BC/Minority communities. The number of women has also gone up by four.
For Lok Sabha polls, four SCs, one ST, 10 BCs, and nine OCs are in the fray, including 5 women. The number of candidates belonging to SC/ST/BC has gone by four compared to 2019. The representation of women has also increased by one.
The YSRCP claimed to have recognised cadres who worked for the party by giving 14 seats to leaders from local bodies or grassroots.
Out of the total 199 candidates selected for either MLA or MP, 77 per cent of them, i.e. 153 candidates (131 MLA, 22 MP), are graduates and above. There are 58 post graduates and six doctorates. There are 17 doctors, 15 lawyers, 34 engineers, five teachers, two civil servants, one defence personnel and one journalist.
Andhra Pradesh will go to polls (both Assembly and Lok Sabha) on May 13.