The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Prospects of MLAs go for a toss

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Prospects of MLAs go for a toss

K. Srimali

Odds favour Grand Alliance; Praja Rajyam could spring surprises

VIJAYAWADA: Delimitation may not have made much difference to Krishna district in terms of total number of Assembly constituencies, which has come down from 17 to 16, but it has affected the prospects of several MLAs.

In all, five constituencies – Kankipadu, Vuyyuru, Mudinepalli, Malleswaram and Nidumolu (SC) – have disappeared and four new ones – Penamaluru, Pedana, Pamarru (SC) and Vijayawada Central – come into being. The number of constituencies reserved for the SCs has gone up from two to three (Tiruvuru, Pamarru and Nandigama).

The two Lok Sabha constituencies – Vijayawada and Machilipatnam – have not been changed much. But there is a good deal of rearrangement of Assembly segments, which resulted in Nuzvid becoming part of Eluru Lok Sabha constituency. Following the abolition of Tenali Parliamentary constituency, Avanigadda has become a segment of Machilipatnam Lok Sabha seat.

Among the three Ministers from the district, Mandali Buddha Prasad (Avanigadda) and Koneru Ranga Rao (Tiruvuru) continue to have their constituencies intact, though the latter has already announced retirement from electoral politics. But Pinnamaneni Venkateswara Rao (Mudinepalli) is forced to look for an alternative and is widely tipped to enter the fray from neighbouring Gudivada.

Among the MLAs whose constituencies have been scrapped, Devineni Rajasekhar (Kankipadu) and K.P. Saradhi (Vuyyuru) of the Congress are seeking to test their luck from Vijayawada East and Penamaluru, respectively, while Buragadda Vedavyas (Malleswaram), who switched loyalties to the Praja Rajyam, may enter the fray either from Machilipatnam or Pedana.

CPI (M) veteran Paturu Ramaiah (Nidumolu) has bowed out of electoral politics. For the high-profile Devineni Umamaheswara Rao (TDP), the reserving of Nandigama constituency has made the task of finding an alternative very difficult. His search for a constituency is still on.

The 2004 elections saw a near total rout of the TDP, which won only two seats. The Congress bagged 12, while its rebel candidate Muddaraboina Venkateswara Rao won from Gannavaram as an independent. The CPI and the CPI (M), as allies of the Congress then, won one seat each.

But the Grand Alliance -- the TDP, along with Left parties -- is poised to put up a good fight in many constituencies banking on issues like delay in completion of Pulichintala project and alleged corruption in its execution, failure to take up modernisation of Krishna delta, non-payment of compensation to farmers whose crops suffered losses in several cyclones and problems of Subabul farmers in West Krishna.

Dark horse

The Praja Rajyam too, with the help of a large number of Kapu voters, especially in East Krishna (delta region), may spring a few surprises, or at least prove to be the spoiler for the Congress and the Grand Alliance.

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