Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat a bastion of Kamma leaders

Vijayawada : Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency located in the heart of Andhra Pradesh is a bastion for Kamma leaders of Congress and TDP for many decades.

Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency has Assembly segments of Vijayawada East, Vijayawada Central, Vijayawada West, Mylavaram, Nandigama, Tiruvuru and Jaggaiahpet under its purview.

Kamma, BC and Dalit voters play important role in deciding the fate of candidates. Among the seven Assembly segments, two are reserved for the SCs, Nandigama and Tiruvuru. Senior political leaders like Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, Parvataneni Upendra, Lagadapati Rajagopal, Kesineni Srinivas alias Nani, Chennupati Vidya, Gadde Rammohan, K L Rao and others were elected from Vijayawada Lok Sabha. Two MPs served as ministers in the Union Cabinet. Vijayawada constituency is located in heart of Andhra Pradesh connecting the south and north coastal districts and Rayalaseema region.

In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, TDP candidate Kesineni Nani was elected by defeating his nearest rival Potluri Vara Prasad of YSRCP. Kesineni Nani got 5,75,498 votes and Potluri Vara Prasad got 5,66,772 votes. Jana Sena candidate Muttamsetti Prasad Babu secured 81,650 votes.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections the TDP candidate Kesineni Nani won by defeating the nearest rival Koneru Rajendra Prasad of YSRCP. Nani got 5,92,953 votes and his rival and YSRCP candidate Rajendra Prasad secured 5,18,239 votes.

In 2009 elections, Congress candidate Lagadapati Rajagopal got 4,29,394 votes and his rival Vallabhaneni Vamsi of TDP got 4,16,682 votes. Lagadapati Rajagopal was elected in 2004 by defeating the TDP candidate Chalasani Aswini Dutt. Rajagopal secured 5,19,624 votes and his nearest rival Aswini Dutt got 4,05,037 votes.

Both Kesineni Srinivas and Lagadapati Rajagopal were elected two times in the last 20 years. Interestingly, both won two times consecutively.

In 1999, TDP candidate Gadde Rammohan was elected by defeating Parvataneni Upendra of Congress. Before that, Upendra was elected two times on behalf of Congress in 1996 and 1998. Parvataneni Upendra was the Union minister and is the last Central minister from Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency. He was in the TDP initially and later joined the Congress.

Another senior politician Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao was elected from Vijayawada Lok Sabha in 1984 and 1991. Vadde was elected to state Assembly also and worked as the agriculture minister.

Congress leader Chennupati Vidya contested four times from Vijayawada constituency. She won in 1989 and 1980. She was defeated in 1984 and 1991 and both occasions in the hands of TDP leader Sobhanadreeswara Rao.

Former Union minister Kanurui Lakshmana Rao popularly known as K L Rao of Congress was elected three times from Vijayawada in 1962, 1967 and 1971. He was a prominent civil engineer and made enormous contribution to the development of Vijayawada and he was the Union irrigation minister. He was honoured with Padma Bhushan award by the Central government and was one of the prominent leaders and engineers of Andhra Pradesh.

Another Congress leader K Achamamba won from Vijayawada Lok Sabha in 1957 and independent candidate Harischandra Chatopadhyana was elected in 1952. Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency is one of the oldest constituencies in the state and first time elections were held in 1952. In 1977, Congress leader Gode Murahari was elected from the segment.

Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency was the bastion for Congress till early 1980s. However, the political scenario changed after formation of TDP. TDP candidate Sobhanadreeswara Rao was elected in 1984 defeating Chennupati Vidya of Congress.

Both Congress and TDP have very strong vote bank in Lok Sabha constituency. After the bifurcation of the state the Congress lost its hold and the YSRCP has increased its strength considerably. In 2019 Assembly elections, YSRCP candidates Malladi Vishnu, Velampalli Srinivas, K Rakshana Nidhi, M Jagan Mohana Rao, Samineni Udaya Bhanu and Vasanta Krishna Prasad were elected from Vijayawada Central, West, Tiruvuru, Nandigama, Jaggaiahpet and Mylavaram. The only Assembly segment was won by Gadde Rammoahn from Vijayawada East constituency.