Srikalahasti to see a keen fight between TDP, YSRCP

Tirupati: Srikalahasti on the banks ofSwarna Mukhiriver is a famous Saivite pilgrim centre known as Dakshina Kasi. It is also politically very active constituency in the erstwhile Chittoor district.

Though the Congress dominated the elections till the advent of TDP, the Communist Party led by Tharimella Nagi Reddy was very strong with good base and had always given stiff fight to Congress.

In the first general elections after Independence in 1952, Congress Party candidate Adhuru Balarami Reddy won with a huge majority. But he resigned within a year to give the seat to Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, the prominent Congress leader from Rayalaseema region.

In 1954 byelection caused by the resignation of Balarami Reddy, Sanjeeva Reddy contested and won to become Chief Minister of Andhra and later he also became the President of India.

In the 1955 Assembly elections, Patra Singaraiah won from Srikalahasti and in the next elections in 1962, Balarami Reddy became MLA again. But the Congress was defeated in 1967 Assembly elections at the hands and independent candidate Bojjala Subbarami Reddy, father of TDP senior leader late Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy who was a five-term TDP MLA and also served as minister.

Interestingly, Balarami Reddy who was unhappy with the Congress came out of the party to contest as an independent candidate and won Srikalahasti Assembly seat in 1972 but in 1978, the Congress candidate Unnam Subramanyam defeated him.

After TDP was born the party candidate Addhuri Dasaratha Rama Reddy, son of Adhuri Balarami Reddy, won from Srikalahasti. Again, TDP candidate Satravada Muniramaiah was elected as MLA but in byelection in 1988, Congress candidate Thatiparthy Chenchubabu got elected.

However, 1989 TDP bounced back and its candidate Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy won in 1989 general elections in which the TDP lost power to the Congress. Gopala Krishna Reddy soon became a powerful political leader and close confident of N Chandrababu Naidu. Bojjala continued his win in 1994, 1999 but lost in 2004. In 2004 Congress candidate S C V Naidu defeated Gopalakrishna.

The political trend changed in entire Andhra Pradesh with emergence of YSRCP which under the leadership of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy swept into power 2019 elections.

In the present scenario, the TDP is making a determined efforts to win the seat again. Party is most likely to field Bojjala Sudheer Reddy as its candidate. But the present YSRCP MLA Biyyapu Madhusudan Reddy who won in 2019 is also not leaving any stone unturned to retain the seat.

Against the backdrop the constituency going to witness a tough fight between the two parties, the ruling YSRCP and the opposition TDP.

TDP leaders hope that the alliance with the Jana Sena Party will help them in elections. While the YSRCP is sure of its win based on Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s implementation of promises, including increase in pension to Rs 3,000, housing for all and also taking the administration to the doorsteps of to the people through voluntary system.