VISAKHAPATNAM: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP), has scored a landslide victory in the 2024 general elections in the erstwhile Visakhapatnam district, comprising Visakhapatnam, Anakapalle, and Alluri Sitharama Raju districts.
The clear electoral mandate of the NDA in the district underscores the strategic prowess of the tripartite alliance and strong support for its agenda as it is set to win two out of three Lok Sabha segments. In terms of Assembly constituencies, the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance has secured all the seats, barring Araku Valley and Paderu.
Visakhapatnam LS TDP candidate M Sribharat defeated Botcha Jhansi of the YSRC with a record margin. Similarly, BJP candidate CM Ramesh won the Anakapalle MP seat, defeating YSRC candidate Budi Mutyala Naidu. YSRC Araku Lok Sabha candidate Chetti Thanuja defeated the BJP candidate and former MP Kothapalli Geetha.
In the ballot battle between the Guru and Shishya, TDP’s Ganta Srinivas Rao is heading towards another electoral victory against Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao of YSRC in the Bheemili constituency. Ganta’s win over his former disciple reflects the intricate dynamics of local politics and the electorate’s assessment of leadership capabilities.
It is interesting that Ganta has remained undefeated in the electoral arena since he made his debut in 1999. The defeat of key YSRC candidates across the Visakhapatnam district can be attributed to several factors. One significant aspect is the perceived failure of the incumbent administration to effectively address critical issues such as civic infrastructure, traffic management, environmental concerns, and lack of job opportunities.
The electorate’s dissatisfaction with the lack of tangible progress on these fronts has likely influenced their voting decisions, leading to a loss of confidence in the ruling governance.
Contributing to the landslide victory in the State, the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance made a clean sweep in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Parvathipuram-Manyam districts by winning all the 19 Assembly segments and two Lok Sabha seats. Interestingly, this is the first time all the Assembly seats have been won by a single party or alliance after 1951 in the erstwhile Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.
In the NDA’s thumping victory, several ministers and senior politicians of the YSRC, including Botcha Satyanarayana, Dharmana Prasadarao, Dharmana Krishna Das, Tammineni Seetharam, Peedika Rajanna Dora, Seediri Appalaraju, Pamula Puspha Srivani, and Sambangi Chinna Appalanaidu, lost their ground.
Though the YSRC senior leaders Botcha Satyanarayana and Pidika Rajanna Dora were in competition until the first ten rounds of the counting, they ended up losing to their counterparts by substantial majorities.
NDA’s cohesive campaign resonated with voters
The alliance formed by the TDP, BJP, and JSP presented a formidable challenge, with their cohesive campaign strategy and united front resonating with voters across the region. Whereas, the Jana Sena, which is said to be a nominal contender in North Andhra, has won both the seats it contested. Its Nellimarla candidate Lokam Madhavi registered a thumping victory against sitting MLA Baddukonda Appalanaidu with nearly a 39,000-vote difference