YSRC trying to gain foothold on Naidu’s turf
TIRUPATI: The situation is no different in Kuppam when compared to Pulivendula, except for role reversal. Here, it is the YSRC, which is making an attempt to gain a foothold in the TDP bastion or it would be better to say the bastion of Nara Chandrababu Naidu. Since 1989, when Naidu contested the elections from Kuppam for the first time, the people of the constituency reposed unwavering faith in him and elected him for six times consecutively.
Before 2014, it was the Congress, which made vain bid to wrest the MLA seat from Naidu and later it was the YSRC. Being the Chief Minister’s own constituency, development funds for Kuppam was never a problem.
In fact, when he became Chief Minister for the first time, Naidu formed a separate administrative body — Kuppam Urban Development Authority — to look after the development of the constituency. During the first term of Naidu as Chief Minister, Kuppam has become an experimental ground for Israel technology of agriculture and micro-irrigation. In the due course, it became a horticulture hub, with more and more farmers opting for cultivation of flowers, vegetables and fruits.
Bengaluru being just 90 km away from Kuppam by train and 30 km more by road from the district headquarters, it is a ready market for agriculture produce. Not just that, majority of youth in Kuppam prefer to go to Bengaluru for jobs and visit their native place only on weekends or once a fortnight. On the other hand, migration of farmhands from Tamil Nadu to Kuppam is steadily increasing. Old-timers want the youth to get jobs in Kuppam and have been after Naidu for setting up industries and MSME units in Kuppam itself. Though plans were initiated, the execution is getting delayed.
“What we want is industrial units like apparel park to be set up here so youth would not go out for jobs,” said Ramana from Shantipuram. In spite of the special focus on Kuppam, like Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chandrababu Naidu too is faulted for not visiting his constituency as an MLA should. YSRC candidate Chandramouli, who is facing Naidu for the second time in the election, is confident of his victory. However, TDP leaders dismiss it as a daydream.
“Chandrababu Naidu will be MLA for the seventh consecutive time and also become Chief Minister once again,” says Krishnappa, a TDP activist. On the other hand, political pundits says the margin of victory might come down, but the results would not change.
