KADAPA: While the ruling YSRC is keen on retaining Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in the ensuing elections, the opposition TDP is striving to bag it to prove its strength in the district.
Kadapa LS seat is considered to be a bastion of YSR family as it has won it 10 times since its formation. The TDP has bagged it only once.
The Opposition TDP is confident of winning the seat next time, claiming that it has gained people’s support after the recent visit of party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, and Yuva Galam Padayatra of general secretary Nara Lokesh.
Kadapa, Mydukur, Proddatur, Jammalamadugu, Pulivendula, Kamalapuram and Badvel Assembly segments come under the purview of Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency with a total electorate of 15,96,923.
In the first election to Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in 1952, Eswar Reddy of the CPI won. He bagged the seat in 1962, 1967 and 1971 elections. V Rami Reddy of Congress was elected from the segment in 1957, 1977 and 1980.D Narayana Reddy of TDP won the seat in 1984 elections. After the formation of YSRC, YS Avinash Reddy got elected from the parliamentary constituency in 2014 and 2019.
While the YSRC is set to field Avinash Reddy again from Kadapa in the ensuing elections, TDP Politburo member R Srinivasulu Reddy is likely to enter the fray against the sitting MP. The TDP leadership has also appointed R Madhavi Reddy, wife of Srinivasulu, as incharge for Kadapa Assembly constituency.
Both Srinivasulu and Madhavi are striving hard to reach out to the people by publicising the party mini-manifesto.
According to TDP sources, K Riteesh Reddy, son of Badvel former MLA K Vijayamma, is aspiring to contest from the Lok Sabha seat. In fact, the victory of Bhumireddy Ramgopal Reddy in the MLC election has boosted the morale of TDP cadres.
However, sitting MP Avinash Reddy’s active participation in the YSRC mass outreach programmes is an added advantage to him in the ensuing elections to win the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat for the third consecutive time, a political analyst observed.