HINDUPUR: Penukonda looks set to return its first BC legislator in 24 years, with all the major parties fielding candidates from these communities this time.
Interestingly, Congress, TDP, PRP and BJP have all chosen candidates from the same caste -- Kurba (Yadava). It was in 1985 that the TDP fielded S Ramachandra Reddy, a Kurba (the Reddy tag does not denote case but obviously refers to the politically preeminent position the family enjoys) who went on to become a minister in the NT Rama Rao cabinet. Since then, however, leaders from only the two dominant upper castes -- Kamma and Reddy -- have been representing the community.
The constituency has a rather gory history, with two sitting legislator's Sane Chinna Reddy and Paritala Ravindra being brutally murdered. In the by-elections that ensued it was their kin who got elected.
The delimitation of constituencies has seen three faction-ridden mandals -- Ramagiri, CK Palli and Kanaganipalli -- being taken out of Penugonda and merged with the newly-created Rapthadu constituency, while two mandals, Gorantla and Parigi, have been brought under Penukonda. Three others -- Penugonda, Somandepalli and Roddam -- have remained untouched.
Paritala Ravindra’s wife, Sunita, who got elected to the Assembly f r om Penugonda in the 2005 byelections, will now contest from Raptadu on TDP ticket.
TDP has fielded former M P B K Parthasarathi in Penugonda while Congress has chosen KT Sridhar and PRP K Rameshbabu.
Also in the fray is BJP’s Siva Prasad. It is noteworthy that the weaker sections comprise 60 percent of the 1.7 lakh voters in the constituency. The Scheduled Castes number 30,500 (Madigas 24,000 and Malas 6,500), Kurbas and Gollas 20,150 and the Boyas 17,000.
Hence the parties’ keenness to come across as a BC-friendly party.
With the SCs and STs also in sizable numbers they too are being assiduously wooed.