With the notification for the Atmakur byelection released, the politics is gathering heat in Nellore district. While the result is a foregone conclusion as there is a great wave of sympathy for the Mekapati family. After all, soft spoken Gautham Reddy was hugely popular and was known to be easily accessible to the people at large. What more? He did not have any enemies in politics.
But who will step into his shoes? Who will be the YSRCP candidate from Atmakur in the bypoll? This question is raising curiosity levels in political circles. While it is a no-brainer that someone from the Mekapati family would be the candidate, the question is who would that be. Two names are doing rounds. The first is Gautham Reddy's brother Vikram Reddy and the other is Gautham Reddy's wife Sri Kirthi.
Already Vikram Reddy has begun touring the constituency and is meeting the voters in a systematic way. He is mingling with the people like his elder brother and has managed to create an impression on the people he is meeting. The TDP, Jana Sena and the Communists too have announced that they would not oppose the candidature of anyone from the Mekapati family in the bypoll.
However, the BJP has said that it does not believe in dynasty politics and that it would put up a candidate in the elections in the spirit of democracy. In fact, the BJP had contested even in the Badvel byelection in Kadapa district in the past. It is another matter that the BJP candidate had forfeited his security deposit.
But who will step into his shoes? Who will be the YSRCP candidate from Atmakur in the bypoll? This question is raising curiosity levels in political circles. While it is a no-brainer that someone from the Mekapati family would be the candidate, the question is who would that be. Two names are doing rounds. The first is Gautham Reddy's brother Vikram Reddy and the other is Gautham Reddy's wife Sri Kirthi.
Already Vikram Reddy has begun touring the constituency and is meeting the voters in a systematic way. He is mingling with the people like his elder brother and has managed to create an impression on the people he is meeting. The TDP, Jana Sena and the Communists too have announced that they would not oppose the candidature of anyone from the Mekapati family in the bypoll.
However, the BJP has said that it does not believe in dynasty politics and that it would put up a candidate in the elections in the spirit of democracy. In fact, the BJP had contested even in the Badvel byelection in Kadapa district in the past. It is another matter that the BJP candidate had forfeited his security deposit.