Date:22/03/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/03/22/stories/2004032202940600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

No surprises in TDP's first list of candidates

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MARCH 21. There are no surprises in the first list of 72 Telugu Desam candidates with the party choosing to play it safe by re-nominating only the members of the dissolved Assembly on Ugadi, Telugu New Year's day.

The TDP president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Speaker, K. Pratibha Bharathi, the Deputy Speaker in the 11th Assembly and 27 Ministers figure in the list, which covers all districts except Anantapur and Kurnool. The candidature of almost all the senior Ministers like Ashok Gajapathi Raju, T. Devender Goud, Y. Ramakrishnudu, K. Vidyadhara Rao and Kodela Sivaprasada Rao has been cleared.

As many as 11 Ministers do not find a place in the first list but not much political significance is being attached to it except in a few cases like Padala Bhoomanna (Adilabad) who is being considered for the Lok Sabha ticket. Only five women figure in the list.

Released after much deliberation and caution, today's list is a truncated one. The TDP planned to announce the names of at least 90 candidates but held several of them in abeyance in view of the action of Lok Satta, a watchdog body, in releasing the names of 25 partymen against whom criminal cases are pending.

However, the party can ill-afford to ignore the claims of powerful candidates like Paritala Ravi (Penukonda Assembly) or Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy (Nandikotkur), whose names figure in the Lok Satta's list. The TDP president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, said as much when he admitted that "we have selected good candidates given the various constraints."

Announcing the names at NTR Bhavan after a meeting of the TDP, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said Ugadi was an auspicious occasion to announce the names of the candidates. Stating that poll surveys as well as astrologers were forecasting a victory for the TDP, he claimed that the party was poised to secure a bigger majority than in 1999.

The TDP chief sought to prepare ticket aspirants for possible disappointment after the release of the second list. He said dropping an aspirant was no reflection of his competence but the party could select only one candidate for a constituency.

Mr. Naidu gave strong indications that Yerra Narayanaswamy, member of the dissolved Assembly from Tadepalligudem, may not be re-nominated. However, he explained that he had taken the decision after speaking to the ex-MLA in order to use his services more effectively for party work.