KADAPA: Proddatur, renowned for its bustling trade, often referred to as ‘Second Mumbai’ in the bullion market, and ‘Second Mysore’ for its grand Dasara festival celebrations, is one of the key Assembly segments in Rayalaseema region.
Despite its significant standing and being the largest town after Kadapa in the erstwhile undivided Kadapa district, Proddatur has found no place in the State Cabinet so far.
In the undivided Kadapa district, MLAs of nine of the total 10 Assembly segments got a Cabinet berth at one time or the other except Proddatur.
The Assembly constituency came into existence in 1952. Kundala Balanarayana Reddy of the Indian National Congress was its first elected MLA. He was re-elected in 1955. The successive MLAs included Ramireddy Chandra Obula Reddy (1957 by-election), Panyam Yerramuni Reddy (1962), Rajulapalle Ramasubba Reddy (1967), Kopparpu Subba Rao (1972), and Ramireddy Chandra Obula Rreddy (1978), all independents.
In 1983, MV Ramana Reddy was elected from the constituency on TDP ticket. He later formed the Rayalaseema Vimochana Samithi, and led the Rayalaseema movement. Despite losing the 1985 election by contesting as an independent, Nandyala Varadarajulu Reddy got elected in 1985 on TDP ticket.
Later, Varadarajulu Reddy switched to Congress, and served as an MLA from 1989 to 2004, securing five consecutive terms. In 2009, he was defeated by his protégé M Linga Reddy of TDP. In 2014, while Varadarajulu Reddy contested the election on TDP ticket, his disciple Rachamallu Sivaprasad Reddy entered the fray as a YSRC candidate, leading to the defeat of the former. Sivaprasad Reddy won again in 2019 on YSRC ticket. Notably, none of them got a Cabinet berth.
From Kadapa Assembly constituency, S Ramamuni Reddy, C Ramachandra Reddy, and SA Khaleel Basha of TDP, SMD Ahmedullah from Congress, and SB Amzath Basha of YSRC served as ministers. DL Ravindra Reddy of Congress served as a minister from Mydukur. From Badvel, B Veera Reddy of TDP got a Cabinet berth. P Shiva Reddy of TDP and later his political heir P Rama Subba Reddy became ministers from Jammalamadugu. From Pulivendula, former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy served as a minister. Later, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy got elected from Pulivendula, and became the CM.
From Kamalapuram, MV Mysoora Reddy of Congress served as a minister. TDP MLA R Rajgopal Reddy was inducted into the Cabinet from Lakkireddipalle. From Rajampet, P Brahmaiah of TDP served as a minister. Saraswatamma of TDP became a minister from Railway Kodur. Over the past four decades, MLAs from nine out of the 10 Assembly constituencies in Kadapa district got Cabinet berths in the Congress, TDP and YSRC governments. People of the constituency are hopeful that the newly elected MLA will certainly get a Cabinet berth this time as Proddatur has been left out so far.