Many stalwarts represented Bapatla

Bapatla: Bapatla constituency is also a district headquarters for the newly formed Bapatla district and revenue divisional headquarters. It is also one of the municipalities in the district. This constituency was represented by stalwarts from Congress and TDP.

Former Governor of Maharashtra, former Speaker of combined AP Kona Prabhakar Rao and former Union minister Dr Ummareddy Venkateswarlu were elected to the state Legislative Assembly from here.

Former minister Gade Venkata Reddy was elected to the Assembly in 2004 and 2009 elections. He served as endowments and excise minister. While Kona Prabhakar Rao was elected to Assembly in 1967,1972 and 1978 from this constituency, he served as minister and Speaker of AP. His son Kona Raghupati was elected to Assembly in 2014 and 2019 Assembly elections and worked as Deputy Speaker of Assembly.

Among other leaders who got elected from here were Chirala Govardhan Reddy in 1989 and Muppalaneni Seshagiri Rao in 1994 elections.

Rao was the erstwhile Guntur district Congress Committee president, a film producer. Former chief secretary Ajeya Kallam also belongs to Bapatla.

Bapatla is famous for agriculture college and engineering college. The YSRCP government is constructing a medical college and 500-bed hospital in the constituency.

There are 1,83,917 voters in the constituency. Voters belonging to Brahmin and Reddy communities influence the elections. Farmers cultivate paddy, cotton, and chillies in the district. But then like many constituencies in the state, Bapatla also suffers from problems like inadequate drainage facility, particularly in the agriculture fields and this results in damage to crops during rains.

Famous Suryalanka Beach, Bapatla Bhavanarayana Swamy temple are some of the tourist spots where large number of tourists from various parts of the state and neighbouring Telangana visit. The software engineers working in Hyderabad visit Suryalanka Beach on Saturday and Sunday for recreation.

AP Tourism Development Corporation had constructed the resorts at Suryalanka Beach for the convenience of tourists. If the beach is developed, it will attract more tourists. Buckingham canal, Kommamuru channel are in the constituency. The town has train connectivity with the Chennai and Vijayawada cities.

Stuartpuram had attainted notoriety for criminals who were involved in several bank robberies. The police had taken tough measures and in 1987, the dreaded burglar Tiger Nageswara Rao was killed in an encounter.

Ahead of the 1014 elections, incumbent MLA Kona Raghupati is facing stiff opposition from within the party. He is also facing allegations of corruption. Former minister Gade Venkata Reddy is trying for a ticket from YSRCP for his son Madhusudhan Reddy for the Assembly elections. He is mobilising the Reddy community.

TDP Bapatla Assembly constituency in-charge Vegesana Narendra Varma is seeking the party ticket to contest in the coming Assembly elections.