Jagan factor at play in Anantapur

The Jagan factor was at play in the selection of Congress candidates in Anantapur for the assembly constituencies. So much so that the District Congress Committee (DCC) president P Venugopal Reddy, who is a close follower of chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, had to eat a humble pie as he was denied ticket from Rayadurg.

The seat was given to K Ramachandra Reddy, a close relative of Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, who is business partner of CM’s son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. Though the DCC chief was defeated by industrialist M Govinda Reddy in the last elections, he was nursing hopes of coming good this time.

For starters, Ramachandra Reddy is the joint managing director of Obulapuram mining company (OMC) located in D Hirehal mandal of Rayadurg assembly constituency on the Karnataka border and Gali is OMC’s MD as well as promoter of Brahmini Steels, which is setting up a mega steel factory in YSR’s Kadapa district.

Sources told media that Venugopal Reddy had complained to the CM about direct involvement of OMC owners in local politics. “Venugopal was asked to shut up and mind his business. But he didn’t expect that he would be given a raw deal when it came to selection of candidates,” an insider in the party said.

With more acreage of quality iron ore mines of OMC located in Rayadurg segment, the iron ore tycoons want to have a total grip on local politics so that their business can flourish, a source said. Apart from Gali, his brother Karunakar Reddy and close follower B Sreeramulu are serving as ministers in the BJP-led government in Karnataka.

Insiders said the mining tycoons had laid out a fullfledged plan a few months ago to ensure Ram a ch a n d r a ’s smooth entry from Rayadurg seat by launching social service activities like performing mass marriages, drilling borewells for drinking water purposes and providing financial assistance for poor students in Rayadurg area.

“What more, Ramachandra Reddy plunged into serious election campaign 10 days ago even before his name was finalised for Rayadurg,” a source revealed. Sources said the Congress top brass dropped enough hints to Ramachandra Reddy, that he would be “the” official nominee and not the DCC chief. “Armed with this assurance, Ramachandra went about claiming to the voters that he will develop the area in all aspects like no one had done before,” a follower of the DCC chief added.