Candidtates from major parties served this constituency

Anakapalli: Voters in Payakaraopeta constituency gave an opportunity to all political parties to serve them in the segment.

Even if an MLA is lost in the next polls, the same candidate was chosen by the people in alternate terms.

Raja Sagi Suryanarayana Raju, an independent candidate, was the first MLA elected by the people of the segment. Later, the voters extended support to the Congress, TDP, YSRCP and CPI.

From 1985 to 1994, Kakara Nookaraju served as an elected member from TDP. He served as an MLA for three terms in a row.

Later, Chengala Venkata Rao, Vangalapudi Anitha, among others, served as MLAs. The sitting MLA Golla Baburao from YSRCP was also the elected member in 2009 from the Congress. He later resigned from the Congress party and joined the YSRCP. Again in 2019, he was elected as an MLA.

In 1951, the constituency was ruled by Raja Sagi Suryanarayana Raju, Mande Pitchaiah in 1962, followed by Gantlana Suryanarayana, Maruthi Adeyya and Sumana Gantela in subsequent terms.

After the independent candidate Raja Sagi Suryanarayana Raju, CPI candidate Mande Pitchaiah was elected as an MLA in 1962. The subsequent terms were served by the Congress candidates twice.

From 2009, the pattern has changed as voters did not opt for the same candidate for the second time.

The constituency has four mandals of Kotauratla, Nakkapalli, Payakaraopeta and S Rayavaram and it is a SC-reserved constituency. However, the sitting MLA Golla Baburao has been replaced with Jogulu Kambala, sitting MLA of Rajam, Vizianagaram district. Recently, the YSRCP high command appointed Jogulu Kambala as the Payakaraopeta coordinator. Tandava River in Eastern Ghats runs as a border to the twin towns of Tuni and Payakaraopeta. Both the towns are flanked on either side of the river’s bridge.

Drinking water supply was provided to 108 panchayats at a cost of Rs 200 crore. “At Nakkapalli and Kotauratla, 30-bed hospitals have been upgraded to 50-bed ones. Also, a government degree college and BC hostel were sanctioned in the constituency. The focus is also on roads as Rs.70 crore was invested on the infrastructure and 80 per cent of the road works were completed,” MLA Golla Baburao informed.

A tough fight is expected between the YSRCP and TDP candidates. However, Jogulu Kambala does not have much grip over the constituency. And the TDP is likely to take advantage of it. In the ensuing polls, how effective the reshuffling exercise would work in Payakaraopeta has to be seen.