Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

A politically sensitive region

ANANTAPUR: Unlike its widely known poor economic status largely attributed to the frequent drought conditions caused by its geographical location, this district has a rich political legacy and a record of factional feuds. Reasonably high political awareness among the masses has always had its impact on the electoral battles.

The district has produced Communist stalwarts like Tarimela Nagi Reddy, Neelam Rajasekhara Reddy and Idukallu Sadasivan and eminent Congress leaders like Kalluru Subba Rao and Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy. Only the Communist and Congress parties had a say in the district politics till the emergence of Telugu Desam in the 1980s.

Though the delimitation has kept intact the number of Assembly and Lok Sabha seats at 14 and two respectively, it has changed the contours of all the constituencies. The leader most affected by delimitation is Agriculture Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy as he has been forced to shift from Madakasira, which has been reserved for SCs, to Kalyanadurg. Interestingly, Kalyandurg was a reserved constituency earlier. Another Minister from the district, J. C. Diwakar Reddy, is said to be sulking as his brother J. C. Prabhakar Reddy has not been given the Congress ticket. The reorganisation of constituencies has created Puttaparthi and Rapthadu segments in place of Nallamada and Gorantla, both in the Hindupur parliamentary constituency, and Guntakal in place of Gooty. The delimitation is likely to benefit the TDP in Penukonda, Uravakonda and Dharmavaram constituencies and the Congress in Kadiri and Singanamala.

In the 2004 elections, the Congress won eight Assembly and both Lok Sabha seats – Hindupur and Anantapur. By winning six Assembly seats, the Telugu Desam Party put up its best performance here than anywhere else in the State. The emergence of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) is likely to change political equations in a few constituencies but it received a setback with its important leader Prabhakar Choudary resigning recently.

The issue of alienation of land in the name of special economic zones (SEZs) and others is likely to have its impact in pockets of Puttaparthi, Hindupur, Kalyandurg and Rapthadu. Other issues like fertilizer scarcity, erratic farm power supply, farmers’ and weavers’ suicides, selection of model farmers could also influence the voters.

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