Rejig of mandals takes a political turn in Nellore

Nellore: The proposal of the TDP-led coalition government to merge Rapur, Sydapuram, and Kaluvai mandals into Tirupati district has taken a political turn, with the YSR Congress Party organizing a massive rally under the banner “Save Kaluvai” in Kaluvai mandal on Monday.

Farmers and the general public, cutting across party lines, participated in large numbers, demanding the rollback of the decision.

Addressing the gathering, former Nellore district YSRCP president Kakani Govardhan Reddy alleged that Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu had betrayed the people of Nellore by failing to keep his promise of continuing the Gudur constituency within Nellore district. Instead, he accused the Chief Minister of hatching a conspiracy to merge Rapur, Kaluvai, and Sydapuram mandals into Tirupati district to serve his vested interests.

Govardhan Reddy pointed out that the bifurcation of these three mandals would create regional imbalances between Tirupati and Nellore districts, particularly concerning water disputes.

He explained that water supplied to the Podalakur South Feeder Canal of the Kandaleru reservoir flows through Kaluvai mandal.

If Kaluvai is merged into Tirupati, he warned, it could spark a water war between the two regions, as both Kaluvai and Podalakur mandals are drought-prone and dependent on the Somasila and Kandaleru reservoirs.

He further stated that about 60 percent of the lands belonging to Podalakur mandal extend into Rapur, Podalakur, and Sydapuram mandals, and such ill-considered decisions would also lead to several revenue-related issues.

The YSRCP leader warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government failed to withdraw its proposal to merge these mandals into Tirupati district.

ZP chairperson Anam Arunamma, Venkatagiri YSRCP in-charge Nedurumalli Ramkumar Reddy, and several party leaders from Rapur, Sydapuram, and Kaluvai mandals were present at the rally.