Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

All eyes focused on Chittoor

TIRUPATI: With at least two heavyweights in the race for the coveted Chief Minister’s post deciding to enter the electoral battle from the district, Chittoor has already become the cynosure of all eyes.

Actress Roja is being pitted by the TDP against Minister Galla Aruna Kumari in Chandragiri Assembly constituency, adding more colour to the elections in the district. Chittoor, in fact, was gripped by election fever ever since the Praja Rajyam president, Chiranjeevi, chose Tirupati to launch his political party.

High-octane electioneering will be witnessed even in constituencies like Nagari, from where the TDP is fielding former Minister Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu against his arch rival and Minister, R. Chenga Reddy, and newly created Gangadhara Nellore or Puthalapattu (both reserved for SCs) from where Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, G. Kuthuhalamma, may contest as an independent, as she was denied the ticket by the Congress.

Mr. Muddukrishna Naidu will be entering the battle on behalf of the TDP headed by Mr. Chandrababu Naidu for the first time, as he parted ways with the former Chief Minister in August 1995 when NTR was dethroned.

The delimitation exercise saw three Assembly constituencies — Puttur, Vayalpadu and Vepanjeri -- vanishing and Chittoor Lok Sabha constituency being reserved for SCs, apart from Tirupati which is already a reserved constituency. The total number of Assembly seats went up from 14 to 15 in the delimitation.

Prominent among those whose Assembly seats were scrapped include Mr. Muddukrishnama Naidu (Puttur), Government Chief Whip N. Kirankumar Reddy (Vayalpadu) and Ms. Kuthuhalamma (Vepanjeri). Mr. Kirankumar Reddy was nominated by the Congress from Piler Assembly constituency. P. Ramachandra Reddy was transferred to contest from Punganur. As part of the delimitation, the high profile Kuppam constituency lost one of its key mandals, V. Kota, amid TDP leaders complaining grudgingly that it was done deliberately to dent his vote bank.

Delimitation has completely changed the composition of Tirupati, Chittoor and Rajampet (Kadapa district) Lok Sabha seats. As against two in the past, Tirupati (SC) Parliamentary constituency got four Assembly segments from Nellore district -- Venkatagiri, Sullurpet, Gudur and Sarvepalle. Four Assembly segments from Chittoor district -- Tamballapalle, Madanapalle, Piler and Punganur – are in Rajampet Lok Sabha area.

The failure to revive the locked up Chittoor Cooperative Dairy will be a poll issue in the district, as the Congress promised its revival before the last elections.

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