TIRUPATI: Caste equations and Jana Sena factor are likely to play a vital role in determining the poll outcome in Chittoor, the native district of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The district has three dominant communities — Balija, Reddy, and Kamma — with BCs and Muslims also playing a key role in the western mandals of the district.
While the TDP banks on Kamma and BCs votes, Reddy votes generally go the YSRC. With the Jana Sena in the fray, a majority of Balija votes are expected to go to the party, putting the YSRC at a disadvantage. To an extent, BC and Muslim votes will also go the Jana Sena way. In 2014, the YSRC secured eight of 14 seats while the rest went to the TDP. Two years down the line, YSRC MLA N Amarnath Reddy defected to the TDP.
Interestingly, the anti-incumbency factor in the district may act against the YSRC as a large section of the people are dissatisfied with the performance of most of the elected representatives. Basically an agrarian economy, Chittoor is facing drinking and irrigation water problem. Chittoor district is the second district that faces the worst groundwater shortage in the Rayalaseema region. Here farmers are by and large dependent on groundwater. The promised water from GNSS and HNSS has not materialised yet. The promised market facilities for horticulture crops are yet to be grounded.
Though industrialisation happened to an extent with many units coming up in Sri City and Srikalahasti region, there is strong resentment among the people of other regions of the district on the “unbalanced industrialisation”. In spite of the tall claims of the government, the unemployment problem in the district is a burning issue.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has kept a special focus on Chittoor district. There is no problem with regard to Kuppam, the Assembly constituency represented by the TDP chief for the last three decades (since 1989). Now, Naidu wants TDP victory from Chandragiri constituency, where his native Naravaripalle is located, which has not happened in last several elections, except 1985 and 1994. Naidu also wants to retain the Tirupati seat and has visited the temple town not less than 30 times in the recent months. On the other hand, the YSR Congress is determined to maintain its lead over the TDP in the district and has taken winning the election as a prestigious issue.