The Hindu : Contest keenly poised as TDP set to change candidate

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Contest keenly poised as TDP set to change candidate

By M. Rajeev

KUCHINAPUDI

ASSEMBLY CONSTITUENCY

VOTERS - 1,14,110

MEN - 57.121

WOMEN - 56,989

The Kuchinapudi Assembly constituency, forming part of the Bapatla Lok Sabha seat, is likely to witness an interesting contest in the coming elections with the likelihood of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) changing its candidate from the constituency.

The constituency has been a stronghold of the TDP till the 1994 elections. The party's nominee, Evuri Seetaravamma, hailing from the Gouda community, won three times -- 1985, 1989 and 1994.

While she secured a majority of 9,044 votes over her nearest rival, Dasari Venkaiah, in the 1985 election, she barely managed to scrape through with a majority of just 56 votes in 1989 and she polled little over 2,000 votes against her rival in 1994. She served as Minister of State in the Chandrababu Naidu Cabinet between 1996 and 1999.

She lost to her Congress rival, Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao, hailing from the fishermen community, in the 1999 election with a margin of 9,161 votes. Anagani Bhagavanta Rao was elected thrice in 1955, 1967 and 1972 on behalf of the Congress. He was defeated by Subba Rao, husband of Ms. Seetaravamma. Subba Rao emerged victorious as an independent in 1962 and won again on behalf of the Janata Party in the 1978 election.

The contest this time, however, will be keenly poised as the TDP is reportedly considering changing the candidate owing to the dissidence brewing in the constituency against the continuance of Ms. Seetaravamma.

Ms. Seetaravamma herself is said to have opted out. She is projecting the candidatures of either her son, Evuri Ganesh, a doctor in Cherukupalli mandal, or her daughter, Tata Padmavathi, the Nagaram mandal parishad president.

The Congress, in all likelihood, will retain Mr. Venkataramana Rao who has a considerable sway in the constituency.

The constituency, usually contested by leaders belonging to backward classes and dominated by the fishermen and Gouda communities, witnessed a fall in the voter strength from 1,23,530 in the 1999 elections to 1,14,110 voters at present.

The constituency is one among such seats which is set to be dispensed with once the delimitation of constituencies comes into effect.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section

Congress strives to pocket elusive Bandar

Contest keenly poised as TDP set to change candidate

Shops closed in Machilipatnam

Around the City

In Vijayawada Today

Reporter's Diary: Barnala's `metal detector' test