In Gudur SC seat, Reddys continue to have clout

Nellore: The Gudur SC constotuency comprises five mandals of Gudur, Chillakuru, Kota, Vakadu and Chittamuru.

There are 2,36,496 voters in the constituency. Of them, there are approximately 71,148 (30.08 per cent) are SC and 32,022 ST voters. Gudur is the third biggest constituency in the district. In 2014 and 2019, it registered 77.84 per cent turnout.

Despite having high percentage of SC, ST voters, when it comes to managing the affairs of the constituency it is the Reddys who have greater say.

Poor financial status coupled with low literacy rate and other social factors prevent the SC/ST representatives from taking independent decisions. Till 1983, it was the Nedurumalli and Nallapureddy families, both from Congress, had their sway on the constituency. In 1983, when TDP was formed, Jogi Mastanaiah, a daily wage worker at Gudur bus stand was elected as TDP candidate.

Reddy community owns silicon (quartz) mines, lemon trade and have been into contract business for decades, hence they are able to influence the decisions regarding the constituency.

The Congress had won seven times from here and TDP had won five times. Prominent Congress leaders who got elected were Palleti Gopala Krishna Reddy, Merlapaka Munuswamy, Nallapureddy Prasananna Kumar Reddy and Patra Prakasa Rao.

TDP leaders who got elected were Jogi Mastanaiah and Balli Durga Prasad Rao. Durga Prasad Rao is a classmate of TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu and was the education minister during NTR government.

In 2014 and 2019, the seat was bagged by YSRCP candidate Pasam Sunil Kuma defeating his rival Dr Batahala Radha Jyotsna. Sunil had in the past contested as TDP candidate but lost to Velagapudi Varaprasad.

According to sources, 2024 elections are set to witness a fierce fight between TDP and YSR Congress Party as Congress, BJP, JSP appear to be in no mood of contesting in Gudur constituency. Even if BJP or Congress put up candidates, they are unlikely to be serious contenders.