Lok Sabha election 2019: TDP may field Vangaveeti Radha from Machilipatnam

VIJAYAWADA: The TDP leadership may field former

YSRC

leader

Vangaveeti Radha

from Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming general elections.


Radha met chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu at his Undavalli residence on Monday evening. He also met Congress leader Lagadapati Rajagopal.

Radha, who quit YSRC, had said he would not join any party despite speculation that he would go to TDP.

Naidu and Radha held talks for over two hours and an announcement would be made within the next two days.

Naidu said he would examine options and suggested that he would give Radha a seat somewhere near Vijayawada like Narasaraopet or Machilipatnam as it would be more suitable for him.

Sources said the party did consider Radha for Anakapalli seat but Naidu insisted that being close to Vijayawada would be a plus for him.

Sources close to Radha indicated that Naidu had assured him that they would provide support for his followers in subsequent municipal elections in Vijayawada.

However, it is no secret that most of Vangaveeti’s supporters want him to contest from Vijayawada Central constituency.

Radha had quit YSRC over Vijayawada Central seat where Jaganmohan Reddy wants to field Malladi Vishnu, a Brahmin to counter TDP’s Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, who is expected to woo Kapu voters.

In his resignation letter to Jaganmohan Reddy, Radha had said: “To achieve your aspiration of becoming chief minister, it is necessary for you to restrict everyone in the party.”

He said he had to quit the party as he had greater political aspirations.

"To achieve my aspiration, it is inevitable for me to have a path without any restriction. In this context, I'm resigning," Radha had said.