After 10 yrs, TDP’s electoral fortunes change in erstwhile Prakasam district

Ongole: Finally, after a gap of almost 20 years, the TDP could revive its electoral fortunes in Prakasam district.

So far, the district remained a tough nut to crack for the TDP. But 2024 proved to be different.

The election results announced on Tuesday showed that the TDP has almost swept the erstwhile district. It has won 10 out of the 12 Assembly seats and Ongole Lok Sabha seat.

TDP MP candidate for Ongole Lok Sabha constituency Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy trounced his nearest rival and YSRCP candidate Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy by a margin of over 50,000 votes.

In the 2004 elections, only one candidate of TDP, Karanam Balarama Krishnamurthy from Addanki Assembly constituency won in the Prakasam district, while the remaining 11 constituencies were won by the Congress party. In 2009 elections also, only one candidate, Kandula Narayana Reddy from Markapuram won while the other 11 constituencies were won by the Congress party. It may be noted that YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the face of elections for the Congress party in 2004 and 2009.

In the elections held after the demise of Rajasekhara Reddy, in 2014, TDP formed the government but has won only 5 of the 12 constituencies in the district. The remaining were won by the YSRCP under the leadership of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

In 2019, when Jagan mania took the State by a storm, the TDP managed to win only four constituencies. Three of these four constituencies, Chirala, Addanki and Parchur became part of the Bapatla district later, leaving only Kondapi in Prakasam district.

But in the results announced on Tuesday, the TDP won in 10 Assembly seats in the erstwhile district including Ongole, Kondapi, Markapuram, Giddalur, Kanigiri, Addanki, Parchuru, Santhanuthalapadu, Chirala and Kandukur, leaving Yerragondapalem and Darsi to YSRCP.