TDP ratchets up campaign in Anantpaur LS

Anantapur : With hardly 10 days for the curtains to fall on electioneering by contesting candidates of Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, campaigning has been intensified in all the seven Assembly segments under the Anantapur Parliamentary constituency.

TDP Lok Sabha candidate Ambica Lakshminarayana is far ahead of his rival YSRCP candidate Malagundla Sankaranarayana in campaigning while little is heard of his rival’s campaigning. Narayana, the sitting MLA of Penukonda, is disappointed with his shifting from his native Penukonda town to contesting as Anantapur Lok Sabha candidate.

He seemed to be uninterested and is making his campaigning a low-key affair. Lakshminarayana, the TD candidate, is aggressive in his campaigning and is coordinating with the seven Assembly TD candidates of Anantapur, Uravakonda, Kalyandurg, Rayadurg, Guntakal, Tadipatri and Singanamala constituencies.

He says as a constituent of NDA, he and the alliance parties have a responsibility to bring back Narendra Modi as prime minister. Praising the NDA government at the Centre, Lakshminarayana observed that both Narendra Modi and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu are visionaries who have the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and Swarnandhra Pradesh. Their combination is good for both the country and the state.

Campaigning which starts as early as 6 am is stretching far beyond 10 pm and 12 am.

Villagers who go to beds as early as 8 pm in the night are disturbed by night campaigns of the YSRCP and TDP candidates who enter their villages with the beating of drums and music and creating a festive atmosphere in the village.

Speaking to 'The Hans India' Ambica Lakshminarayana says that night time is the best time for getting the voters’ attention. He is urging the villagers to put up with inconvenience, if any, because of night campaigning for another 10 days and give their correct judgement, which can redefine politics and development in the state.

YSRCP candidate Malagundla Sankaranarayana is from Penukonda where he is the sitting MLA and former minister. TDP candidate Ambica Lakshminarayana is from Hindupur and is new to the constituency.

Lakshminarayana is trying to connect with the seven Assembly Constituencies with the help of local Assembly candidates. The victory of an MP candidate is decided by the voters of seven Assem bly segments. Because of simultaneous polls to both the Assembly and Parliamentary seats, the voter tendency is to vote for the party of his choice for the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats. Rarely do voters distinguish between an MP and MLA seats unless a voter is educated and has high level of political awareness. If there is a wave in favour of a particular party, then most or all of the seats , be it MLA and MP seats, go to the same party.

Strategically, the MP candidates join the campaigns of Assembly candidates, road shows and public meetings to save resources, especially when an MP candidate is financially weak. The MP candidates identify themselves with Assembly candidates of seven constituencies making it easy for voters to vote for two candidates of the party of their choice.

Bureaucrat turned politician Talari Rangaiah contested and won as YSRCP candidate in 2019.

For 2024 Parliamentary elections, the YSRCP has shifted Talari Rangaiah to Kalyandurg Assembly constituency. Ex-minister and Penukonda MLA M Sankaranarayana is nominated as YSRCP Anantapur MP candidate. He also hails from backward classes as Rangaiah.

M Sankaranarayana, YSRCP candidate is unfamiliar to most of Assembly segments in Anantapur Lok Sabha constituency. The TDP comparatively has less problems with fielding of candidates while the YSRCP is plagued with dissensions and anti-incumbency factors among others. The TDP has an edge over the YSRCP in the constituency.