Only 8% of population, Reddys rule the roost

Nellore: The Sarvepalli constituency located on the coastal belt in the Nellore district has fishermen community and Girijans, BCs (Manubolu mandal) in majority, but since 1955 it was the Reddy community which has been playing a dominant role by winning the elections all these decades though they constitute just about eight per cent of the total population.

Of the five mandals in Sarvepalli, Podalakuru is the biggest one. The other mandals are Muthukuru, Tothapalli Guduru and Venkatachalam.

The constituency has 2,30,417 voters. Of them, 1,2,802 are male and 1,17,581 are female. If one takes a look at the past polling percentages, Sarvepalli constituency had always recorded very high voter turnout. From 1955 to date it was always anything between 70 to 80 per cent polling record. In 2019, in fact, it saw a record turnout of 84.89 per cent. Till the formation of TDP in 1983, the contest used to be only between Congress, Communist Party of India, Praja Party and independents. Though other parties like BJP, BSP, CPI and CPM have been contesting since 1978, their presence was just nominal.

Former Utter Pradesh Governor and chief minister of erstwhile Andhra state Bezawada Gopala Reddy was the first MLA to get elected from Sarvepalle Assembly constituency in 1955 with the majority of 25,582 votes (67.92 per cent).

In 1962 elections, one Vema Reddy Venku Reddy (Independent) got elected. Sarvepalli Assembly constituency was brought under SC category and in 1967 Swarna Vemaiah (SC) and Mangala Giri Nanadas in 1972 represented from this seat. Later, again this constituency was changed into general constituency.

Bezawada Gopala Reddy again got elected in 1978, 1989, Chitturu Venkata Sesha Reddy (Congress) in 1983, Chenna Reddy Venku Reddy in 1985, Eduru Ramakrishna Reddy in 1994, 1999 , Somireddy Chandra Mohan Reddy(TDP) and in 2004, 2009 Adala Prabhakara Reddy(Congress) were elected. In 2014 and 2019 Kakani Govardhan Reddy (YSRCP) was from here.

Except in 1967 and 1972, Reddys were elected from Congress five times, TDP four times, YSRCP two times from the Sarvepalli constituency since its formation in 1955.

This time with changing political equations and internal dissent within the ruling party and the TDP-Jana Sena alliance, the number of aspirants is high.

There is a confusion in the TDP-Jana Sena ranks as they are not sure which party candidate would contest as part of seat sharing. The Congress which was decimated in the last 10 years may also try its luck though its chances of winning are remote.