YSR kin threatens to contest as Independent

Hyderabad, March 11 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's brother-in-law P. Ravindranath Reddy Wednesday threatened to contest as an Independent candidate in the next month's assembly elections if the ruling Congress does not give him the ticket.

Ravindernath Reddy, who is also the mayor of Kadapa town, said he would not go back on his ultimatum to contest as an Independent candidate from Kadapa assembly constituency.

'I enjoy people's support in Kadapa and can win the seat by majority of thousands of votes,' he told reporters in Kadapa.

'There is no question of going back on what I have already declared,' said Ravindernath Reddy, who Monday declared that he would contest as an Independent if the party denied him the ticket.

Raising the banner of revolt, he said he would contest even if the party initiated disciplinary action against him.

Claiming that he had been serving the Congress for 32 years, the mayor said he had been aspiring for the party ticket since long but was denied it for being YSR's brother-in-law.

Expressing solidarity with Ravindernath Reddy, all 43 Congress corporators in the Kadapa Municipal Corporation have threatened to resign. However, the mayor said if necessary, they would continue as Independents.

Kadapa is one of the assembly segments of Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency, from where the chief minister's son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy is likely to contest as the Congress candidate. Jaganmohan will be replacing sitting MP and his uncle Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy.

Ravindernath Reddy, brother of YSR's wife, may not be fielded by the Congress in view of Jaganmohan Reddy's candidature from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency.

Kadapa is the home district of the chief minister, who will be seeking re-election from Pulivendla assembly constituency, which is also part of Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency.