Amaravati: After being denied party tickets, TDP aspirants expressed their anger at party chief Chandrababu Naidu. The TDP leaders and their supporters staged protests in Pedana Assembly constituency, Anakapalli Assembly constituencies and other places in the state on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Naidu announced the first list of candidates who will be contesting 94 seats in forthcoming elections to the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

The party leadership’s decision to field Kagita Venkata Rao is being seen as a betrayal by former deputy speaker Buragadda Veda Vyas. He was hoping for a ticket from Pedana constituency. Buragadda is currently serving as the state vice-president of the party. The denial of ticket has caused him so much pain he fell ill while discussing the issue with his followers at Chinnapandraka village. Later, he was shifted to the hospital where he’s been kept under close medical supervision.

While speaking to his supporters, Buragadda criticised Naidu for betraying him after assuring him of the ticket from Pedana seat. He also said that he will meet the party leadership and will demand an explanation as he’s a huge support from the local party cadre. I will contest the elections as an independent candidate, he informed the supporters.

As part of the seat-arrangement with the coalition partner Jana Sena Party, for the first time, the TDP had to vacate the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in Anakapalli constituency. Jana Sena party is fielding Konatala Ramakrishna from Anakapalli assembly seat while Pawan Kalyan’s elder brother and party leader Konidela Nagendra Babu aka Nagababu will be the party’s candidate from Anakapalli parliamentary seat.

Meanwhile, Peela Govinda Satyanarayana aka Peela Govind has criticised the TDP leadership for giving the Anakapalli MLA seat to Jana Sena Party. He expressed his displeasure over the party’s decision to leave the seat to Jana Sena Party. He also said that the party supporters are demanding to contest the upcoming elections as an independent candidate.

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