Two turncoats, ex-minister among 114 Congress candidates for Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls

PTI, Apr 2, 2024, 8:00 PM IST

Amaravati: Two turncoats and a former minister are among the candidates for 114 Assembly seats announced by Congress for the May 13 Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.

Former Andhra Pradesh primary education minister S Sailajanath has been announced the candidate from Singanamala (SC) constituency.

Sailajanath had also worked as the president of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC).

Two turncoats, V Rakada Eliza and Toguru Arthur, who quit YSRCP after they failed to get a ticket, found a place in the list of candidates. Eliza has been fielded from Chintalapudi (SC) constituency and Arhtur from Nandikotkuru (SC), the same constituencies from which they had won as YSRCP candidates in the 2019 Assembly elections.

YS Sharmila Reddy, president, APCC noted that the names of the remaining candidates will be announced in a few days, after she participated in a prayer meeting at her father Y S Rajasekhar Reddy’s grave in Idupulupaya, Kadapa district.

Addressing a press conference, she said her father had won 10 elections as a Congress leader and claimed that he had dreamed of seeing Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Minister.

And to fulfil that dream, Sharmila claimed that she has joined Congress and all are ready to work for the victory of the party.

Further, she said Congress has to be voted to power in the southern state if it has to develop and also fulfil the promises made during the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh.

The Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled on May 13 and the counting of votes is slated for June 4.