The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Anantapur News : Old rivals in the ring again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Old rivals in the ring again

By B. Chandrashekhar

ANANTAPUR, APRIL 6. Known as the garden taluqa since the British period, Madakasira is one of the most backward Assembly constituencies in Anantapur district. Horticulture is the main source of livelihood here. Some pockets in the constituency are also known for their primitive lifestyles embedded with superstition.

Bordering mostly with Tumkur and Chitradurg districts of Karnataka the constituency is a predominantly Kannada-speaking area with the heavy influence of Kannada culture. Vokkaligas (like Kapus of AP) and the Scheduled Castes are the majority communities here. As a result, parties leave no stone unturned to garner the support of the two communities in every electoral battle.

The constituency has been a Congress stronghold since 1952 and the party winning the seat six out of 10 elections held so far is the testimony of the fact. The TDP won twice followed by the Swatantra Party and an independent once each. The constituency was merged with the neighbouring segments in 1955 and it was re-created in 1962.

Successive failure of monsoon for the last several years has been making life difficult for the people of the area. The alarming depletion of the groundwater table has led to the withering of about 2,000 acres of horticulture and floriculture crops during the last two years.

As a result, farmers have turned farm workers and are migrating to urban areas in search of livelihood. The pathetic sight of withered orchards was visible all over the constituency. The impact is evenly spread in all mandals of the segment -- Madakasira, Amarapuram, Agali, Rolla and Gudibanda. Other major problems of the constituency are drinking water, rural roads and housing. The scheme to provide drinking water to about 340 villages by carrying water from the Penna Aobilam balancing reservoir is still in the pipeline. Excavation of several sanctioned percolation channels is also pending. Another long time unfulfilled wish of the people is an RTC bus depot.

The TDP has chosen Y.T. Prabhakar Reddy, who represented the constituency during 1994-1999, again this time though there were several aspirants including Mr. Reddy's wife, Usharani, the former Minister, H.B. Narse Gowda, K. Eere Gowda and Ramakrishna among others. Mr. Reddy was denied ticket last time and Mr. Eere Gowda was defeated by N. Raghuveera Reddy of the Congress.

The announcement of the Congress candidate is only a formality as the two-time former legislator, Mr. Raghuveera Reddy, is the lone aspirant for ticket. Mr. Prabhakar Reddy defeated Mr. Raghuveera Reddy in the 1994 election.

With the confidence that he has no rivals aspiring for ticket, Mr. Raghuveera Reddy has been touring the constituency extensively since the dissolution of the Assembly and even earlier. Mr. Reddy claims that he has done as much as he can for the constituency in spite of being an Opposition legislator.

The TDP's electioneering is yet to pick-up in the constituency. Meanwhile, both the TDP and Congress are making all-out effort to woo voters of the Vokkaliga community. Mr. Raghuveera Reddy has seized the opportunity first by taking the nomination forms at the hands of a Vokkaliga seer in Sira taluqa of neighbouring Karnataka.

The TDP is also learnt to have pacified Vokkaliga leaders assuring them that they would be taken care after the elections. The Mandal Parishad President and ZPTC member of Amarapuram quit the Congress to join the TDP a couple of months ago.

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

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section

Old rivals in the ring again

Political activity picks up

TDP-BJP combine on shaky ground in Kadiri