Confusion prevails on contesting candidates in Avanigadda

Vijayawada: While the political campaign is gradually picking up in the State and the mainstream political parties have appointed in-charges and co-ordinators for majority Assembly constituencies in erstwhile Krishna district, utter confusion prevails in Avanigadda Assembly constituency of Krishna district.

The TDP and Jana Sena alliance has not announced the name of the contestant and the two parties are eagerly waiting for the outcome of the talks held between the TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi recently. The three parties TDP-Jana Sena and BJP are planning to contest the polls as alliance parties.

The YSRCP has announced the name of Simhadri Chandrasekhara Rao for Avanigadda Assembly constituency. But, the candidate said that he could not contest because of age factor and asked the party leadership to field his son Simhadri Ram Charan. The party is yet to give consent to the request made by the candidate. Avanigadda is the bastion of Kapu leaders for over six decades.

Sitting MLA Simhadri Ramesh Babu of YSRCP also hails from the Kapu caste. The YSRCP has appointed Simhadri Ramesh Babu as the in-charge of the Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency to contest the 2024 elections.

The TDP and Jana Sena have reached an understanding to contest the ensuing general elections. Later, TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu also visited New Delhi and met Home Minister Amit Shah recently. Since then, the TDP and BJP are waiting for the outcome of the meeting.

Amit Shah stated that the party would announce its alliance partners soon. He made interesting comments that new parties would join the NDA fold.

If the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP will go together to the polls there is a possibility of allotting the seat to Jana Sena because of huge chunk of Kapu voters in the constituency.

The TDP so far not mentioned that the party would allot ticket to former MLA Mandali Buddha Prasad.

He was elected three times from Avanigadda. Mandali Buddha Prasad was elected in 1999 and 2004 on behalf of Congress party. He was elected again in 2014 from TDP and became Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly.

Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao, father of Mandali Buddha Prasad, was elected three times from the constituency in 1972, 1978 and 1983. Thus Mandali family has registered six victories from Avanigadda.

Simhadri Satyanarayana of the TDP is another prominent leader elected from Avanigadda. He won the contest in 1985, 1989 and 1994. In 2019 elections, the YSRCP candidate Simhadri Ramesh won the election in Avanigadda constituency by defeating TDP candidate Mandali Buddha Prasad.

As Kapu voters play a decisive role in the elections, all mainstream political parties choose Kapu candidates for Avanigadda constituency.