The vacillating agriculture minister, Mr Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, who is unable to decide whether to contest from Kadapa Lok Sabha or Pulivendula Assembly, is throwing the Congress leadership into confusion, ahead of the announcement by the Election Commission.

According to party sources, a few days ago Mr Vivekananda Reddy had shown an inclination to contest from the Pulivendula Assembly. After that he told his followers that he wanted to contest from Kadapa Lok Sabha. There is speculation that Congress leadership has decided in principle not to contest the Pulivendula Assembly seat as a mark of respect to the late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. It is understood that Mrs Vijayalakshmi, wife of YSR will seek re-election from that seat. But party sources strongly denied any such move. Mr Vivekananda Reddy’s recent talk of not contesting from Pulivendula reinforces these assumptions.

When the former Kadapa MP, Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, had a meeting with his MLA supporters on Sunday evening before leaving for the Odarpu yatra in Vizianagaram, they worked out a strategy on the possibility of facing Mr Vivekananda Reddy in the Kadapa Lok Sabha. But sources close to Mr Vivekananda says he is ready to contest from either of the two constituencies. Kadapa Congress leaders have admitted that there is confusion on this uncertainty.