VIZIANAGARAM : Gajapathinagaram Assembly segment has been one of the typical constituencies in electing its representatives. The people of this segment have been giving top priority to the candidates rather than the political parties. As a result, TDP has won this seat five times, Congress four times, independent candidates two times, and YSRC, Janata Party, Praja Socialist Party, and Swatantra Party emerged victorious one time each.
After tasting victory in the 2019 elections, YSRC has once again fielded sitting MLA Botcha Appalanarasayya to contest for the coming elections against TDP candidate Kondapalli Srinivas. Botcha Appalanarasayya, younger brother of Botcha Satyanarayana, won the Assembly segment in the 2009 and 2019 elections under Congress and YSRC banners respectively. Currently, he is preparing the ground to retain the seat for the third time in the ensuing elections.
On the other hand, the TDP high command denied the party ticket to Kondapalli Appalanaidu, who began his political journey after the sudden demise of his father and three-time MP Kondapalli Pyditalli Naidu. He won the Gajapathinagaram Assembly segment in 2014 and lost the seat to Botcha Appalanarasayya in the 2019 elections.
Determined to bag the seat in the coming elections, the TDP top brass has denied the ticket to Appalanaidu and fielded young gun Kondapalli Srinivas, an entrepreneur-turned-politician.
Gajapathinagaram Assembly constituency is one of the agri-based segments comprising Gajapathinagaram, Bondapalli, Dattirajeru, Gantyada, and Jami mandals. Turpu Kapu and Koppala Velama are the dominant communities in the constituency. Whereas, SC, Yadava, and other communities have been playing a crucial role in determining the fate of the MLA candidates.
The majority of the people have been depending on the paddy and sugarcane in this constituency. Therefore, Tatipudi Reservoir, Andra Reservoir, Thotapalli Branch Canal, and Mentada-Nelivada Channel (MN Channel) are the major irrigation projects to supply irrigated water to both paddy and sugarcane.
The Congress government led by former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy proposed the Babu Jagjeevan Ram Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project, which can irrigate at least 3.9 lakh acres of land in Vizianagaram and Parvathipuram-Manyam districts through the left canal of Polavaram. At least 80,000 acres of land will come under cultivation with the project in Gajapathinagaram Assembly segment alone. However, the ruling YSRC government allegedly neglected all these irrigation projects. Though the government conducted the Thotapalli branch canal works by spending `25 crore and Andra reservoir canals modernisation works with `16 crore, the works were not completed.
On the other hand, Sri Vijayarama Gajapathi Cooperative Sugars Ltd, popularly known as Bhimasingi Sugar Factory, was shut down by the ruling YSRC government in the name of modernisation. However, the government did not start the works yet citing non-availability of the sugarcane.
This alleged negligence of the government has plunged at least 20,000 farmers of 10 mandals in both Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts into hardship.
The construction of the government degree college in Gajapathinagaram also remained as one of the unfulfilled election promises by the sitting MLA Botcha Appalanarasayya. Though the government completed the recruitment of the staff, it failed to complete the construction of the buildings. As a result, the college authorities have been conducting classes in dilapidated junior colleges.
Stating that he has been instrumental in providing at least 10,000 houses besides providing welfare schemes to improve the living standards of the people in the segment, Botcha Appalanarasayya made it clear that there is no truth behind the TDP leaders’ allegation that he had changed the alignment of the Sujala Sravanthi Project to secure his land. He further promised to complete all pending projects once he gets into power.
Meanwhile, Kondapalli Srinivas criticised the YSRC alleging that the ruling party government has betrayed 20,000 sugarcane farmers by intentionally shutting down Bhimasingi sugar factory for their personal gains.