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Interesting battle ahead in Atmakur
- Sitting YSRCP MLA Mekapati Vikram Reddy to contest again from the constituency
- TDP likely to allot ticket to former minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy
Nellore: Atmakur Assembly constituency is going to witness an interesting fight as the YSRCP decided to give a second chance to Mekapati Vikram Reddy while TDP seems to be in favour of fielding Anam Ramanarayana Reddy.
Mekapati Vikram Reddy is the young brother of former Industries and IT Minister late Mekapati Goutham Reddy. After formation of TDP in 1983, that party won the elections twice Kommi Lakshmaiah Naidu in 1994 and Budda Seetharama Reddy in 1999. It lost six times in 1985, 1989, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019.
YSRCP has won three times Mekapati Goutham Reddy twice in 2014, 2019 and his younger brother Mekapati Vikram Reddy in 2022 by-election. This is the first time Anam Ramanarayana Reddy would be contesting on the TDP ticket from Atmakur Assembly constituency. Earlier in 2009, he was elected as Congress candidate against his TDP candidate Kommi Lakshmaiah Naidu with the majority of 18,664 votes.
Interestingly, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy who contested on the same Congress ticket in 2014 elections was placed third and lost his deposit. In this election, YSRCP nominee Mekapati Goutham Reddy secured 91,686 votes, TDP nominee Guturu Murali Kannababu got 60,274 votes while congress candidate Anam Ramanarayana Reddy secured 8,927 votes.
Ramanarayana Reddy developed Atmakur constituency by spending Rs 800 crore and transformed it as revenue division and municipality, but people of Atmakur ignored him in 2009 elections due to the anger against the Congress which had bifurcated the State.
He hopes that in addition to the anti-incumbency factor, the differences witnessed within Mekapati family and support of old Congress leaders in Atmakuru town, Ananthasagaram, Anumasamudrapu Peta (AS Peta) and from leaders like Bollineni Krishnama Naidu, Kommilakshmaiah Naidu, Atmakur TDP in-charge Murali Kannababu, he can easily win the elections.
Merger of Marripadu mandal which was earlier in Udayagiri constituency in Atmakur Assembly constituency can be added advantage to the TDP as Udayagiri YSRCP sitting MLA Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy quit from the party and is extending support to TDP.
Chandrasekhar Reddy who has stronghold in Marripadu mandal can split large number YSRCP votes.
