ELECTION SCENARIO They were the bright stars of Andhra Pradesh’s political firmament. But today, many of the nearly two dozen Seemandhra leaders from Kiran’s cabinet face the prospect of sinking into oblivion, thanks to the clouds of bifurcation looming large over the residual AP.
According to political pundits, bifurcation apart, not only are many of Kiran’s boys mired in corruption controversies, but they also face a virtual revolt within their respective communities and constituencies due to their alleged high-handedness.
A case in point is Vizianagaram strongman and transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana, who earned the epithet of ‘Timangalam’ (big shark) for his dictatorial style and treating his constituency as his personal belief.
In fact, such is the resentment against him that it triggered attacks against his personal assets in Vizianagaram during the height of the Samaikyandhra agitation, forcing cops to clamp a 17-day curfew. The two-time Cheepurupalli MLA and one-time MP also faces revolt from within, with his main vote bank, the Kapus, now totally against him.
“People are vexed with Botsa because of his involvement in land grabbing, liquor business and sand mafia. Also during his tenure as MLA, his nephew Chinna Srinu dictated terms not only in Cheepurupalli but the entire district,” alleged a strong follower of Botsa’s bete noire Gadde Babu Rao.
Those like ports and investments minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, roads and buildings minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, forest minister Satrucharla Vijayarama Raju, minor irrigation minister TG Venkatesh and law minister Erasu Pratap Reddy, who quit the Congress in search of greener pastures, too are no better off as they face fierce opposition within their new parties.
“Many of Kiran’s ministers joined either TDP or YSRCP to retain their seats. While some have failed to get an assurance on tickets, others are facing an open revolt from the cadres of their new parties,” averred political analyst R Rajeswara Rao.
Like Botsa, Kapu leaders such as Kanna Lakshminarayana (Guntur West) and sitting Anakapalle MLA Ganta face the wrath of voters from their own community. Ganta, the former PRP leader who bailed out of Congress due to bifurcation, stares at a catch-22 situation. While he stands no chance of re-election from Anakapalle, something that surveys conducted by him have already made clear, the TDPBJP alliance put paid to his plans to contest from the Visakha LS seat on a TDP ticket.
“How can people accept leaders who change parties like they change shirts? Ganta, originally a TDP man, joined PRP and then jumped to Congress and is now back to TDP. Such politicians are nothing but power-mongers,” lashed out one of Ganta’s cabinet colleagues.
The dominance of former finance minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy in Nellore district, particularly Atmakuru constituency, is diminishing with strong YSRCP and TDP opponents all set to split the votes of the Reddy community.
YSR loyalist and Koppula Velama strongman Dharmana Prasada Rao of Srikakulam, who joined YSRCP recently, may see the mining lease to his son Manohar Naidu at Kannedhara Konda and his inability to bag BC status for the dominant Kalinga Komati community seal his fate.
“He blatantly supported power plants in the district against the wishes of the people and also indulged in land grabbing. Such was the angst that there was a bandh in Srikakulam against the atrocities of his son and his henchmen,” said Paryavarana Parirakhsana Samithi president Dr Y Krishna Murthy.
Six-time MLA and erstwhile royal from Vizianagaram, Satrucharla Vijayarama Raju, too faces a piquant situation. Though he embraced TDP, all his supporters jumped onto the YSRCP bandwagon, decimating his chances of a victory from Patapatnam in Srikakulam.
In Anantapur, the hotbed of Samaikyandhra agitations, the going is getting tough for both Sake Sailajanath and Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee chief and revenue minister Raghuveera Reddy. In fact, Reddy is now mulling shipping out of his constituency Kalyanadurgam.
The tide is also against Kurnool biggies TG Venkatesh and Erasu Pratap Reddy, both of whom were strong proponents of Samaikyandhra and joined TDP recently. “Their flip-flops irked the voters and now they not only face revolt from TDP cadres and aspirants, but also stiff competition from YSRCP contestants,” said a political analyst.
Medical education minister Kondru Murali Mohan faces the litmus test in Rajam constituency, especially after the Lakshmipeta clashes between dalits and members of a dominant BC community two years ago that left four dalits dead and 25 injured.
Likewise, C Ramachandraiah of Kadapa and Pasupuleti Balaraju of Paderu in Visakha face strong undercurrents in their constituencies, while Thota Narasimham, who joined TDP, and Pinepe Viswaroop are vying for Lok Sabha tickets from Kakinada and Amalapuram.
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