At a time when the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is busy finalising candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, the name of Konda Narendra, a U.S.A.-retuned techie, is doing the rounds as the probable candidate for Thamballapalle constituency in Annamayya district, where the family of Energy Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy is said to have a good influence.
Sandwiched between Anantapur district and Karnataka, Thamballapalle, which was in Chittoor district before going to Annamayya district during the district reorganisation exercise, is known for its perennial backwardness.
At present, the constituency is being represented by Peddireddi Dwarakanath Reddy, the younger brother of Mr. Ramachandra Reddy. Sources say that the TDP is searching for a reliable candidate to be pitted against the Peddireddis, which is considered a ‘powerful family’ in the constituency.
The prolonged absence of former MLA and TDP constituency in-charge G. Shankar Yadav from the constituency after the 2019 elections is said to have made the party leadership look for a serious contender. Sources say the TDP have found the right choice in Konda Narendra, who was working as vice-president in the domain of Artificial Intelligence at NVIDIA, a U.S.A.-based company.
Outsiders galore
Mr. Shankar has been living in Bengaluru since his defeat in the 2019 elections. Even incumbent MLA Dwarakanath Reddy hailing from Punganur is also being considered an outsider in the constituency. Sources say Mr. Narendra, who returned home from the U.S.A. a year ago, wants to cash in on the situation.
Having drawn a roadmap for the backward constituency’s development, Mr. Narendra has forged strong ties with the local farmers and unemployed youth by holding several workshops and skill development camps. Sources in the TDP have indicated that the name of Mr. Narendra is in the list of probables.
