RAJAHMUNDRY: The newly-formed `Rajahmundry Rural’ segment in East Godavari district going by its name may give an impression that it’s dominated by the rural folk but in reality it has an interesting mix of rural and urban voters.
It poses a big challenge to political parties as they have to come up with two sets of promises to suit the needs and sentiments of two different categories of electorate.
The constituency has several problems, prominent among which are drinking water shortage, lack of roads and drains.
The segment has been formed by merging the Kadiyam Assembly constituency, Rajahmundry rural mandal and divisions 16 to 21, 26 and 27 of the Municipal Coporation of Rajahmundry (MCR) during the delimitation process. The Kadiyam Assembly constituency, which ceases to exist was formed in 1952.
Minister for Excise and Prohibition Jakkampudi Rammohan Rao - Congress, Ganni Krishna - Telugu Desam Party, Addepalli Sridhar or Annamdevula Veera Venkata Satyanarayana - Praja Rajyam Party and Somu Virraju - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are likely to be in the fray from the rural segment. If Rammohan Rao, who has not been keeping well for sometime now, withdraws from contest, his wife and AICC member Jakkampudi Vijaya Lakshmi may get the ticket, it is learnt.
TDP leader Ganni Krishna, a key player in urban party activities, is trying seriously to contest from this segment.
CURTAINS ON KADIYAM The now non-existent Kadiyam (SC) segment had consisted of Rajanagaram, Rajahmundry Rural, Kadiyam and a few wards of the Rajahmundry Municipality.
Battina Subba Rao won the seat as Congress and Reddy Congress candidate in 1967 and 1972 Assembly elections.
In 1978 the constituency moved into general category and Patamsetti Ammiraju won it on Janata Party ticket.
TDP candidates Girajala Venkata Swamy Naidu and Vaddi Veerabhadra Rao won the seat in 1983 and 1985 elections respectively.
Jakkampudi Rammohan Rao won the seat on Congress ticket in 1989 and in 1994 TDP candidate Vaddi Veerabhadra Rao was reelected from here. Jakkampudi regained it in 2004.