Group rivalries play a decisive role in Nellore

By M H Ahssan

It has all the trappings of a humdinger in Potti Sriramulu Nellore district what with Congress and TDP involved in a neck-andneck fight in the lone Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly constituencies.

A politically volatile and active district in the coastal region, a triangular contest among Congress, TDP and PRP is on the cards but the real fight is veering round TDP and Congress. While TDP is banking on its colour TV and cash transfer schemes, the Congress is riding on YSR’s welfare agenda.

Notwithstanding the colourful campaigning in Nellore LS seat with TV artistes conducting roadshows to lure the voters, the Congress candidate Mekapati Rajmohan Reddy appears to have edge over his TDP rival V Venugopal Reddy.

Being a Reddy bastion, Mekapati is leaving no stone unturned to garner the community’s votes.The PRP candidate for this parliamentary constituency is Jana Ramchandraiah Goud.

Apart from meticulously working on his campaigning, Mekapati is going around with only a single appeal. “I am your representative and one amongst you. Vote for me and I will stand by you.” With the Anam family throwing its weight behind Mekapati, his winning chances have brightened, said one analyst.

Ironically, local minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy is on a sticky wicket in Atmakur assembly seat with TDP’s K Lakshmaiah Naidu and PRP’s Khajavali Shaik giving him sleepless nights. Apart from group rivalry between former CM N Janardhan Reddy (NJR) and the Anam family, the change in the contours of the constituency in delimitation has upset the minister’s calculations. “NJR could play a spoilsport in Atmakur, thus giving an edge to the TDP candidate,” a close follower of the veteran leader said.

If Ramnarayan is finding the going tough, the case of former railways chief PRO P Krishnaiah, husband of Union minister Panabaka Lakshmi, who is testing his luck in political waters from Gudur is no better. Pitted against B Durgaprasad of TDP and Babu Ravindra of PRP, Krishnaiah is swimming against the rough tide. “Though he is banking on his SC vote bank, Krishnaiah is again undone by the lack of support from NJR,” a source said.

In Nellore Rural seat, Venkataramana Reddy of PRP has established a clear lead over his Congress and TDP rivals. “He has become popular among the local voters with his door-to-door canvassing,” a local PRP leader said.

Another interesting battle is in Sarvepalli where former TDP minister S Chandramohan Reddy is up against Congress candidate Adala Prabhakar Reddy. While Prabhakar is wooing the voters on the government’s Krishnapatnam port project, modernisation of Penna delta and laying of BT roads, Chandramohan is harping on Chandrababu Naidu’s pet schemes. “The colour TV and CTS schemes are a big hit here. I am confident of upstaging my rival,” Chandramohan said.

In Sullurpet (SC) constituency, the Congress is facing the rebel trouble. Sources said Congress’s V Saraswathi has a fight on her hand from her own party men. She is facing PRP’s G Eswaramma and TDP’s P Ratnam. Kavali, another heavilypopulated assembly constituency, has a large number of SC/ST and Muslim minority votes. “The seat may witness a photo finish between Congress and TDP candidates,” a source said.