GUNTUR: The fight for the Tadikonda (SC) Assembly segment is primarily between the TDP and the YSRCP. While the sitting MLA Tenali Sravan Kumar is contesting for the third consecutive time, his YSRC counterpart Undavalli Sridevi, is in the poll fray for the first time.
The others contesting for the reserved constituency are the BSP’s Neelam Ravi Kiran, S Anand Babu, who is trying his luck this time on a BJP ticket, and Ch Vijaya Kumar fighting it out on a Congress ticket.
The segment, under which capital Amaravati falls, has turned into a hot seat in the Assembly elections . Voters from Kamma, Mala, Madiga and Muslim communities are the deciding factors in Tadikonda. According to information, there are 31,450 Kamma voters, 32,482 Mala, 25,288 Madiga , 23,601 Muslim, 16,099 Reddy, 10,000 Kapu and others.
Majority of the villages of Amaravati is under Tadikonda constituency and Sravan Kumar had won the 2014 election by a margin of 7,542 votes. The ruling TDP, with the help of Kamma social group, had successfully pooled 33,000 acres of land for the new capital and are now confident of retaining the seat on the basis of SC support. While the TDP had won the seat four times, the Congress won it six times and the Left once.
At first, the TDP had denied ticket to its sitting MLA Sravan Kumar and announced the name of sitting Bapatla MP Sriram Malyadri as Tadikonda candidate; but due to severe protests, the party gave the ticket to Sravan Kumar.
However, an anti-Sravan group staged protest, seeking change of candidate but the TDP high command settled the matter. The sitting MLA said that Tadikonda had vastly developed due to the TDP government’s efforts and establishment of Amaravati had been the icing on the cake. That the public is supporting the TDP for the development works it had done in the area, is clear, said Sravan.
But there is dissidence within the TDP and against the MLA, who is looking for a re-election. The intra party rivalry has become the leadership’s core problem.
The YSRC is, however, banking on attracting traditional voters. It had fielded Henry Christina as its candidate during the 2014 election, who lost the seat to Sravan Kumar. As a result, the party changed its candidate at the last minute and has now fielded Dr Sridevi from the seat, with an aim to get the support of voters of all sections of the society.
The YSRC leaders claimed that except the landowners whose lands had been pooled and all of whom were TDP supporters, others were barred from getting government jobs. Because of land pooling, agri works had stopped in many villages where large scale illegal sand mining was also taking place, they alleged.
These apart, the Amaravati villages are facing other problems too. The absence of government educational institutions and hospitals, scarcity of drinking water, unavailability of proper drainage and other basic amenities still haunts the people living in the the constituency.
The YSRC leaders alleged that the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) for the upcoming city was a bigger scam than the Rafale deal and the pooling benefitted only the TDP, and, as a result, many had been opposing the LPS.
They also alleged that the Jana Sena Party did not field its candidate in the segment to help the TDP candidate under a ‘hidden’ pact, but the people of the area were extending their support to the YSRCP.
The YSR Congress’ contesting candidate Dr Sridevi said that people were up in arms against the TDP and the public was seeking a change of government and hence “we are putting in all efforts to win Tadikonda seat to give a gift to YS Jagan who has shown confidence in me”.
Farmers who offered their lands, under the LPS, for the establishment of Amaravati will be crucial in the win of the TDP in Tadikonda seat. TDP leaders are conducting campaigns asserting on the need of TDP coming back to power for completion of a world-class city.
The TDP high command is making all efforts to win the seat, with the support of public, mainly farmers and landowners, who are part of the LPS and Dalit, BC and minorities votes. Majority of the farmers, who are part of the LPS, belong to Kamma social group hence the TDP leaders are confident about getting their votes.