Despite challenges, Ayyanna’s political loyalties remain intact
Visakhapatnam : Whether he is with the ruling party or Opposition, senior TDP leader Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu is adept at not just giving retorts to his political rivals but also ensures that his statements are laced with humour and wit.
The senior TDP leader made a mark once again with a resounding victory as an MLA of Narsipatnam contesting for the tenth time from the same constituency in the 2024 general elections. This time Ayyanna Patrudu won against the YSRCP candidate Petla Uma Sankar Ganesh with a huge majority of 24,676 votes.
During the YSRCP rule, the then government filed 17 criminal cases against him, but the cases could not dampen his aggressive attitude. Nevertheless, he continued to fight for the party and ideology he believed in.
Ayyanna Patrudu joined TDP in 1983 in the presence of NT Rama Rao. He contested as Narsipatnam MLA for the first time in the Assembly elections held then and won. Later, he won in the Assembly elections held in 1985, 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2014. In 1996, Ayyanna contested as an MP candidate of Anakapalli Lok Sabha and emerged victorious. He served as a minister in NTR’s and N Chandrababu Naidu’s Cabinets.
In his long political stint, Ayyanna Patrudu won seven times and lost three times, including 1989, 2009 and 2019 elections. After winning in 2024 elections, Ayyanna Patrudu was elected as Assembly Speaker unanimously.
Ayyanna Patrudu extended his services as minister of technical education, minister of roads and b buildings, forests minister and panchayat raj minister.
At a time when a section of senior leaders were disappointed that they could not bag cabinet posts in the BJP-TDP-JSP government, Ayyanna Patrudu was gracious enough to say, “How long could we go after ministerial posts? It is high time to give an opportunity for the young leaders as envisaged by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. As senior leaders, we should focus more on the party’s betterment rather than aiming for ministerial berths.”