The “stoic silence” of YSRCP heavyweight Peddireddi shakes the executives

The discreet silence maintained by ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) strongman and minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy has become a topic of discussion among party cadres in the district at a time when election campaigning in the state has reaches its feverish climax.

The trusted lieutenant of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Mr. Ramachandra Reddy has always proven his mettle as a troubleshooter in times of crisis.

Be it allocation of party portfolios/appointed posts or attracting opposition leaders and cadres into the YSRCP fold, Mr. Ramachandra Reddy has always played a pivotal role, winning thus the title of “Peddayana” among his fellow legislators and party members.

Even as the by-elections in Tirupati parliamentary constituency approached, necessitated after the death of YSRCP MP Balli Durgaprasad in 2021, Mr. Ramachandra Reddy had the responsibility of winning the seat by a huge margin.

He also played a pivotal role in sweeping all four ZPTCs and winning 62 of MPTC’s 65 seats in Kuppam Assembly constituency, a stronghold of TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu.

However, the sudden calm of a leader of such stature has sparked a debate among party leaders and cadres who are offering their own interpretations of the situation.

While a section of the cadre believes that he is busy campaigning in his native Punganur Assembly constituency and Rajampet parliamentary segment from where his son Peddireddi Mithun Reddy is contesting, another section claims that this is an indication of the weakening of his hold on the district.

To buttress their position, they point to the nomination of RK Roja as the party candidate for Nagari, which they claim was done despite his objections. The allocation of Tirupati and Chandragiri Assembly seats to the sons of sitting MLAs Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy (currently contesting the Ongole LS seat) has further added to his disappointment, sources said.

An uncontroversial view shared by some is that he is busy wresting the Kuppam Assembly seat from Mr. Naidu – a huge responsibility entrusted to him by the party.