VIJAYAWADA: Once a bastion of dominant Kamma community and later reserved for SC category in 2005, Nandigama Assembly constituency is gearing up for an electoral battle between YSRC candidate Mondithoka Jagan Mohan Rao and the tripartite alliance candidate Tangirala Sowmya.
Ophthalmologist by profession, Jagan Mohan Rao was born in a small agricultural family in 1966 in Nandigama mandal. On the other hand, Sowmya, daughter of former MLA Tangirala Prabhakar, won the 2014 bye-election after the demise of her father. However, she lost the 2019 elections.
Tangirala Sowmya, who is contesting for the third time, is confident of defeating Mondithoka Jagan Mohan Rao claiming that the people of the State are eagerly waiting to cast their vote in favour of TDP, Jana Sena and BJP alliance. Meanwhile, YSRC party candidate Jagan Mohan Rao exuded confidence that YSRC will record its victory in the Nandigama Assembly segment for the second consecutive time with a thumping majority.
Out of seven Assembly constituencies in NTR district, two segments—Nandigama and Thiruvuru—are reserved for Scheduled Castes. Nandigama constituency comprises four mandals, including Nandigama town, Veerulpadu, Kanchikacherla and Chandarlapadu, with a total of 79 panchayats altogether. Established in 1955 as per the delimitation orders, during the initial years, the constituency became a stronghold for Congress and communist parties.
Later the segment became a bastion of TDP for more than two decades after the party candidate and former Home minister Vasantha Nageswara Rao won the elections in 1972, 1983 and 1985. Closely following, TDP candidates Devineni Venkata Ramana and his brother Devineni Umamaheshwara Rao, Tangirala Prabhakar and his daughter Tangirala Sowmya etched the TDP’s victory.
In the past four years, the sitting MLA Mondithoka Jagan Mohan Rao was instrumental in developing the road infrastructure and public health with the funds from the State and Central government. “After YSRC came into power, we focused on transforming the town starting with fulfilling the three-decade dream of road widening works. After Covid-19, top priority was given to improving health infrastructure in the mandal,” he explained.
He further criticised the Opposition that despite winning six times forming the government thrice, the previous MLAs failed to develop the constituency headquarters.
Banking on the development works carried out in the Nandigama town and other mandals in the last five years such as road widening works, drainage works, upgradation of government hospital to 100-bedded capacity and primary health care centres in all mandal and panchayat levels, the YSRC candidate is hoping to win the seat.
TDP candidate Sowmya has intensified her campaigning and has been approaching the people seeking a chance stating that the NDA government can only put an end to the corruption of the YSRC government and develop the State.
“People of Nandigama are vexed with the atrocities of Jagan Mohan Rao and his brother Arun Kumar and are waiting for the opportunity to teach a lesson. I am confident that the public will vote in favour of TDP as they are strongly in the belief that development and welfare can be achieved only with the NDA government,” Sowmya maintained.