Tirupati: As the date of election for the graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies — March 13 — is close at hand, the campaigning has reached its peak. All the political outfits and contestants have been reaching out to the maximum number of voters.
The ruling YSR Congress expects a cakewalk in all constituencies, while the opposition Telugu Desam is banking on the anti-incumbency factor to upset the YSRC applecart.
The resource-rich YSRC is ahead of others in the campaigning. It has declared the name of the party candidate P. Shyam Prasad Reddy for the Prakasam-Nellore-Chittoor Graduates Constituency MLC polls six months in advance. The TD delayed confirming Kancharla Srikanath as its candidate for the same seat, while the BJP has fielded Sannareddy Dayakar Reddy even though Jana Sena’s support to him was still uncertain.
This time, 3.81 lakh voters form the electorate, including 2.45 lakh males and 1.35 lakh females, as well as 31 transgender voters.
Chittoor district has 54,152 voters out of the 3.81 lakh while Tirupati has 86,941, Annamaiah 23,838, Bapatla 26,390, Prakasam 82,225 and Nellore 1,07,635. Since Nellore district has about 30 per cent of the voters, it has become crucial for all the contenders.
YSRC candidate Shyam Prasad Reddy, whose wife Sushmitha Reddy is chairperson of the AP State Seeds Corporation, has pinned high hopes on Nellore graduate voters, of which a great number are from his community. He has a close relationship with state minister Kakani Govardhan, who has a stronghold in Nellore.
While the YSRC is sure of its continuing grip on the voters, the teachers and graduates are said to be against the Jagan-led government. “The anti-incumbency factor poses a larger threat to the ruling party. The disappointment factor is already evident in the state, but not as strong yet to help another party to steal the show.
“The major concerns raised in public forums against the YSRC are the liquor, sand and capital issues,” say political analysts.
The opposition TD is trying to regain its lost ground by attempting to change the political equations and banking on the anti-incumbency mood against the YSRC government. While it is necessary for the TD to demonstrate before the public that the party is strong, it is plagued by groupism within the party in the erstwhile Chittoor and Nellore districts.
According to political observers, the impact of such infighting was worst in Nellore. More so after rumours surfaced that YSRC rebel MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy was in touch with TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu. This might affect the prospects of local TD leaders. The rising discontent among the leaders, notably Abdul Aziz, has the potential to derail the party’s hopes in Nellore.
In Chittoor district, resentment is high among certain leaders who expected an MLC ticket, as the party selected its candidate from Nellore district.
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