KADAPA: With both TDP and YSRC taking elections as a prestigious issue in Kadapa and Chittoor districts, the elections for Rajampet Lok Sabha seat has become important, as it straddles both the districts. Of the seven Assembly segments under Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency, three segments — Rayachoti, Kodur, and Rajampet — are in Kadapa district, while the remaining four segments — Thamballapalle, Madanapalle, Piler and Punganur — are in Chittoor district. Kadapa is YSRC party home turf and native district of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy while Chittoor district is TDP home turf and native district of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu.
Since its formation in 1957, the Lok Sabha constituency has remained a bastion of Congress till 2014. A Sai Pratap, who served as Union Minister in the previous UPA government at the Centre, represented the MP seat six times and before him, Pothuraju Parthasarathy, another Congress veteran from the district, represented it four times. Incumbent MP PV Mithun Reddy, son of former minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, is a native of Chittoor district and a contractor by profession.
He not only has money power, but also a strong cadre. On the other hand, DK Satyaprabha is the TDP candidate. She is the widow of former MP and former TTD chairman late DK Adikesavulu Naidu and is incumbent MLA from Chittoor. She too has money power and cadre and most importantly she hails from numerically strong Balija community.
Except in 1962 and 2014, Rajampet MP seat was always represented by leaders from the Balija community. Almost all the parties used to field candidates belonging to that community. However, in 2014, Mithun Reddy, who belongs to the Reddy community, managed to defeat Purandeswari who is the daughter of former CM NT Rama Rao.
Interestingly, both the MP candidates from TDP and YSRC belong to Chittoor district and the contest between them is expected to be neck-and-neck. Being young and popular among youth in most of the Assembly segments in Rajampet LS constituency is an added advantage to Mithun Reddy. Having a strong backing in the form of Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy is another advantage for him.