Praja Rajyam emerges as a third force

Praja Rajyam emerges as a third force Ramesh Susarla

Janga Krishna Murthy dropped from Gurazala, M. Hanumantha Rao denied ticket from Mangalagiri

GUNTUR: Changed caste compositions among voters in Assembly constituencies after the delimitation and the emergence of a third force in the form of Praja Rajyam have made the political scenario challenging for the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party in the upcoming elections.

The fortunes of several MPs and MLAs of the Congress in the district are bound to alter as Tenali Lok Sabha, Kuchinapudi and Duggirala Assembly constituencies have been scrapped.

Reserving the Bapatla Lok Sabha constituency, Prattipadu and Vemuru for Scheduled Castes also impacted the political permutations.

Mangalagiri, Tenali and Ponnur Assembly segments have come into Guntur Lok Sabha constituency, while Chilakaluripet, Sattenapalle and Pedakurapadu (formerly in Guntur) have gone to Narsaraopet Lok Sabha constituency.

The Congress registered a landslide victory winning 18 out of the 19 Assembly constituencies in the district in 2004 elections, while the TDP made it only in Ponnur seat.

The Congress swept all the four Lok Sabha seats. The Congress high command cleared the air re-nominating Rayapati Sambasiva Rao from Guntur Lok Sabha seat and transferred NTR’s daughter and Union Minister Daggubati Purandeswari from Bapatla to Visakhapatnam. Vallabhaneni Balashourie has been given the Narasaraopet Lok Sabha seat, as Tenali Lok Sabha constituency was scrapped. Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy was shifted from Narasaraopet to Nellore.

Seat abolished

Gudibandi Venkata Reddy was dropped as his Duggirala Assembly seat was abolished. The Congress nominated Chebrolu Narendranath from Vinukonda dropping the sitting legislator Makkena Mallikarjuna Rao, giving rise to serious bickering within the party.

Same is the case with Janga Krishna Murthy, who was dropped in Gurazala Assembly seat, from where Alla Venkateswara Rao was fielded. Repalle MLA Devineni Mallikarjuna Rao too was dumped to accommodate Minister M.V. Ramana Rao, while another Minister M. Hanumantha Rao was denied ticket from Mangalagiri.

Minister for Transport Kanna Lakshminarayana, who represented Pedakurapadu for four consecutive terms, has shifted base to Guntur (West), now represented by Tadisetty Venkata Rao, causing a heartburn to the Rayapatis and the sitting MLA’s camp.

Political veteran Kodela Sivaprasada Rao of the TDP, who represented Narasaropet Assembly constituency for five times in a row, may fight the sitting legislator and Civil Supplies Minister Kasu Krishna Reddy once again. Makineni Pedrathaiah, another five-time winner to the Assembly, is seeking TDP ticket from Guntur Lok Sabha constituency.

He would stoke rebellion, if the party doesn’t field him. Alapati Rajendra Prasad of the TDP, whose Vemur constituency is reserved for SCs, is pitching himself to contest from Tenali Assembly seat.

Unfulfilled promises

Spiralling prices, alleged mismanagement of fertilizer supply, unfulfilled promises to chilli farmers may work against the ruling party, while its leaders are harping on satisfied pensioners, Arogyasri beneficiaries, 108 service, Indiramma housing clubbed with ‘Pavala Vaddi’ work in its favour.