Satyananda Rao secures resounding victory in Kothapeta

Rajamahendravaram: Bandaru Satyananda Rao was elected to Assembly as a TDP candidate from Kothapeta in the Konaseema district during the 2024 general elections, winning by a significant margin of 56,479 votes. A seasoned political leader, Rao has been deeply connected with the people of Kothapeta since 1985 and has now been elected as MLA four times.

His political journey began in 1989 when he was first selected as an MLA candidate from the TDP, though he faced defeat in that election. He achieved his first victory in 1994, defeating Congress candidate Chirla Soma Sundara Reddy by a margin of 15,541 votes. In 1999, he again won on behalf of the TDP, defeating independent candidate Soma Sundara Reddy with a 16,113 votes margin.

After a setback in 2004 against Congress candidate Chirla Jaggi Reddy, he joined the Praja Rajyam Party, founded by Chiranjeevi and triumphed in the 2009 elections as that PRP candidate. He later rejoined the TDP but lost in both the 2014 and 2019 elections.

A decade out of office didn’t diminish his resolve and he made a successful comeback in 2024.

Satyananda Rao’s political career is notable for his contests against both father and son, Chirla Soma Sundara Reddy and Chirla Jaggi Reddy, who have dominated the Congress Party and YSRCP in the Kothapeta constituency since 1989. He has experienced both victory and defeat against them, earning a reputation as a non-controversial candidate in politics.

Kothapeta is known for its sensitive caste dynamics and Rao has been recognised as a leader capable of fostering harmony among all communities.

His efforts to strengthen the TDP included denouncing large-scale sand exploitation and the oppression of certain communities in the constituency over the past five years, leading to his comfortable win in the latest elections.