Anantapur: The Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency may see a fierce competition as the BJP is planning to nominate former Chief Minister N. Kirankumar Reddy as its candidate against the current MP Peddireddy Mithun Reddy.
The Rajampet Lok Sabha segment, which covers both Kadapa and Tirupati regions, is now part of the Annamayya district. This district was created a few years ago after the division of the erstwhile Kadapa district. The Rajampet Lok Sabha segment now includes Rajampet, Kodur, Rayachoti, Thamballapalle, Pileru, Madanapalle in Annamayya, and Punganur Assembly segments of Chittoor.
The Telugu Desam Party has given the Rajampet Lok Sabha seat to its ally BJP, and it is likely that former CM Kirankumar Reddy will be named as the candidate from there.
Kirankumar Reddy, who is from Piler area, has served as an MLA and Chief Minister in the undivided Andhra Pradesh after CM K. Rosaiah’s resignation during the Congress era.
Despite Kirankumar Reddy’s opposition to the state division, the Congress leadership went ahead with it. Kirankumar later formed his own regional party but did not gain much support after the state split.
Having joined the BJP a year ago, Kirankumar Reddy is now set to be the party’s candidate in the Rajampet Lok Sabha segment. His father, Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, was a minister of mines during the Congress rule in AP.
BJP state president D. Purandeswari had contested in the last election from Rajampet but lost to Mithun Reddy by a large margin as the YSRC maintained its dominance in Rajampet and Kadapa. With former CM Kirankumar Reddy entering the race, an interesting battle is expected in the Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency this time.