Kalyandurgam likely to witness tough fight

Kalyandurgam (Anantapur): Kalyandurgam, one of the 14 Assembly constituencies in the district, is currently represented by Hanumantharaya Choudhury of the Telugu Desam Party. In all likelihood, in the forthcoming 2019 elections, Choudhury will be compelled to face strong candidate like PCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy who has recently announced that he would contest this time from Kalyandurgam.

PCC chief Raghuveera Reddy did not contest Assembly elections in 2014 as Congress faced the wrath of the people as it was responsible for AP bifurcation move by UPA government. Sensing humiliating defeat, he withdrew from electoral fray and campaigned for those who contested on Congress ticket then.

In 2009 Assembly elections, he contested from Kalyandurgam constituency and won with a huge margin. During his term 2009-2014, he took keen interest in developing his constituency including roads and outer ring road apart from other welfare initiatives. Prior to 2009, he was representing Madakasira constituency.

Now all eyes are on Kalyandurgam constituency owing to recent political developments. The seat would go to Congress if Congress and TDP enters into an electoral alliance. Raghuveera recently announced that he is contesting this time from Kalyandurgam irrespective of alliance with the TDP. In the event of a tie-up between the Congress and TDP, the sitting TDP MLA Hanumantharaya Choudhury will be shifted to another constituency or may be denied party ticket.

However unfazed by the PCC chief's declaration, Choudhury also declared that he would contest only from Kalyandurgam. TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu had held discussions with the Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on the issue. Raghuveera has earned a good name in the constituency and he is confident of winning the election irrespective of the alliance.

The BJP and the Jana Sena parties have hardly any presence in the constituency. Jana Sena does not even have even a district party committee constituted so far and has no organisational structure. The YSRCP is likely to field Usha Sri as the party candidate. If the Congress and TDP contest independently, then the main contest will be between Congress and TDP and the YSRCP will stand in the third place. The total number of voters in the constituency is 2,01,530.