PARVATHIPURAM-MANYAM: Despite anti-incumbency, the huge turnout of women voters in the just concluded elections has raised the victory hopes of several sitting YSRC MLAs in Parvathipuram-Manyam district.
Kurupam MLA Pamula Puspha Sreevani, Parvathipuram MLA Alajangi Jogarao, Palakonda MLA Viswasarayi Kalavathi and Salur MLA Peedika Rajanna Dora are hopeful of getting re-elected as they are of the view that the women must have voted for the YSRC, acknowledging the commitment of the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government to the people’s welfare and development.
Parvathipuram-Manyam Agency was once a Congress bastion. Later, the YSRC has established its hold on it.
Rajanna Dora won from Salur Assembly constituency in 2009, 2014 and 2019. He became Salur MLA after the Supreme Court of India had disqualified Rajendra Pratap Bhanj Deo as an MLA over a caste dispute.
He has been representing Salur since 2006. Similarly, Sreevani has been representing Kurupam for the past one decade. Both served as the Deputy Chief Ministers (Tribal Welfare) in Jagan’s cabinet. Kalavathi has also been a two-time MLA from Palakonda. Jogarao was elected from Parvathipuram (SC reserved) constituency in the last election on YSRC ticket.
Political analysts are of the view that the winning chances of the sitting YSRC MLAs are bleak due to anti-incumbency and their failure to strive for the development of their respective constituencies in the last five years. There are also allegations that some of the sitting YSRC MLAs have indulged in large scale corruption.
In all the four Assembly constituencies, the number of women voters is more than men. Of the total, a majority of women voters exercised their franchise in the elections in the four Assembly segments. As Jagan has taken several initiatives for the empowerment of women in the last five years, besides implementing several welfare schemes, party circles are of the view that they must have given their mandate to the YSRC.
