Godavari’s NRI businessman pipped to the post for the third time in a row in Lok Sabha elections

Chalamalasetty Sunil, an NRI businessman who has contested the last three elections on tickets from three different parties, is perhaps known to many in East Godavari district.

KAKINADA: Chalamalasetty Sunil, an NRI businessman who has contested the last three elections on tickets from three different parties, is perhaps known to many in East Godavari district. His first electoral foray was when Chiranjeevi, a popular actor, floated his new Praja Rayam Party.

Sunil contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls on a PRP ticket from the Kakinada constituency, but unfortunately lost the election, tasting his first defeat, to Congress’ Mallipudi Raju Pallam Mangapati. The Congress candidate had won by a margin of over 30,000 votes.

Determined for a win, Sunil joined the YSR Congress and contested the same seat in the 2014 General Elections. Despite his good performance, he lost the closely-contested seat to Telugu Desam’s Thota Narasimham, who had banked on his party’s post State bifurcation promises.  Undeterred by his second consecutive failure, his resolve to become a Member of the Parliament grew stronger.

Later, he decided to join Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena, which did not go well with his supporters who were unsure of the party’s prospects in the 2019 elections. To keep his support base intact he did not join the JSP, but instead managed to get a TDP ticket and contested the recent election as a TDP candidate from the Kakinada Lok Sabha seat. 

However, he failed to secure a win and came second for the third time. His rival, YSR Congress’ V Geethaviswanath, won the poll by a margin of 25,738 votes.

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