Jagan for Kadapa LS seat, Vijayamma for Pulivendula

Putting at rest speculation that he would enter the state Assembly and leave the representation of the Lok Sabha to his mother, former Kadapa MP Ys Jaganmohan Reddy on Sunday clarified that he would indeed seek re-election for the Kadapa Parliamentary seat and file his nomination papers on April 15.

His mother and widow of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, YS Vijayalakshmi will file nomination papers from Pulivendula Assembly Constituency on April 16.

This was revealed by former MLC and staunch loyalist of Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, HA Rahman.

Mr Rahman said that the mood in the Jagan camp was upbeat and everyone, right from Mr Jaganmohan Reddy himself to the party workers on the ground were confident of retaining the seats they had been elected to on the Congress ticket.

Mr Rahman said that the ‘match-fixing’ between the Telugu Desam Party and the Congress would be of no avail and the people would turn out in large numbers to vote for the person who they see as the true heir of Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

The Model Code of Conduct has already come into force with immediate effect in the Kadapa district. The Code applies to all political parties.

Earlier, the Election Commission had increased the security deposits for both the MP and MLA seats. Deposit for the Lok Sabha seat has been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 while a contestant for MLA has to deposit Rs 10,000 in place of Rs 5,000.

For SC and ST candidates, the deposit amount is half of what others deposit. The candidates have been informed to submit in the revised formats in view of the changes effected.

Similarly, the election expenditure of a contestant for a Lok Sabha seat has been increased to Rs 40 lakh while a candidate for MLA seat can spend up to Rs 16 lakh during the elections.

The Election Commission has permitted candidates to appoint an additional agent who is expected to perform duties related to the expenditure only.