SRIKAKULAM: With the appointment of Perada Tilak as the new charge of Srikakulam, the ruling YSRC is expecting a significant change in the political landscape of the key Lok Sabha constituency in North Andhra. Duvvada Srinivas, who unsuccessfully contested from Srikakulam in the last Lok Sabha elections, has been shifted to Tekkali Assembly constituency to take on TDP State president Kinjarapu Atchannaidu. Tilak had unsuccessfully contested Tekkali in the last elections.
Generally, Srikakulam has been a bastion of Telugu Desam since the inception of the party. The TDP has won the seat seven times, whereas the Congress bagged it thrice. Former Union Minister Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu won the seat four times and his son and sitting MP Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu bagged it twice.
The YSRC allotted the Lok Sabha seat to Reddi Santhi in 2014, who hails from the Kapu community. In 2019, it fielded Duvvada, who belongs to the Kalinga community. However, Rammohan Naidu, who hails from the Velama community, defeated both in the consecutive elections.
As part of its ‘Mission 175’, the YSRC leadership has swapped the candidates for Srikakulam Lok Sabha and Tekkali Assembly seats, aiming to put an end to the political supremacy of the Kinjarapu family in district politics. Though the YSRC leadership had initially tried to field a candidate from the Velama community in the ensuing elections, it has been forced to field a nominee from the Kalinga community as nobody seems to be ready to take on Rammohan Naidu.
Duvvada has had a constant fight against the Kinjarapu family since his political entry. Therefore, YSRC leadership appointed him as the new in charge of Tekkali, where Atchannaidu is looking for a hat-trick win. However, the YSRC leadership is likely to face strong dissidence from several leaders belonging to the Kalinga community, who are aspiring for the Srikakulam Lok Sabha seat.
Former Union minister Killi Kruparani, who won from Srikakulam in 2009, is expecting either Srikakulam Lok Sabha or Tekkali Assembly seat. Daneti Sridhar, a renowned doctor is also aspiring for either Srikakulam Lok Sabha or Ichchapuram Assembly seat. However, the YSRC leadership announced its nominees for Srikakulam Lok Sabha, Ichchapuram and Tekkali Assembly seats in the third list released on Thursday. It has to be seen whether the swapping of candidates for Srikakulam Lok Sabha and Tekkali Assembly seats will enable the YSRC to wrest them from the TDP, a political analyst observed.