P Gannavaram: Villages deprived of protected drinking water facility

Rajamahendravaram: P Gannavaram Assembly constituency in Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema district which falls under Amalapuram Lok Sabha constituency is located between Vasishta and Gowtami tributaries of River Godavari. It has about 1,80,080 voters.

The Assembly constituency consists of P Gannavaram, Ambajipeta, Ainavilli mandals and Pedapatnam, Appanapally, Botlakurru Doddavaram, Pasarlapudi, Nagaram, Mogalikuduru, Makanapalem, Lutukurru, Pasarlapudilanka and Adurru villages in Mamidikuduru mandal.

It is famous for Ainavilli Siddhi Vinayaka Swamy temple and Appanapalli Balabalaji Swamy temple. The name that strikes first to anyone who is familiar with this constituency is that of Dokka Seethamma who spent her entire life serving food to the poor.

Significant population of Muslims reside in Mamidikuduru mandal and some villages. Here the aqueduct built by Sir Arthur Cotton on Godavari during the British period has special recognition and it was named after Dokka Seethamma.

The coconut market in Ambajipet is famous for countrywide exports. Coconut oil produced here is also in good demand.

The erstwhile Nagaram constituency was transformed into P Gannavaram in 2008. This constituency is reserved for SCs. Elections were held eight times in the Nagaram constituency from 1972 to 2004. Neethupudi Ganapathi Rao was elected twice (1978, 1989) from Congress party and Undru Krishna Rao of TDP thrice (1983, 1985 and 1994).

In the 2004 and 2009 elections, Pamula Rajeswari Devi won as a Congress candidate. In the 1999 elections, this constituency was allotted to the BJP as part of the TDP-BJP alliance. Then Manepalli Ayyaji Vema, a common worker in BJP contested from that party and registered victory.

Despite being SC constituency, the candidate who got elected from the constituency has not been given a berth in Cabinet during the last 40 years. Like in many parts of the State, roads in this constituency are in very bad shape. This is essentially a rural constituency. Though it is located on the banks of River Godavari, there is severe shortage of protected drinking water in the villages.

Promises to build groves to prevent Godavari erosion in Lanka villages have not been fulfilled. It is also one of the constituencies that has become the centre of the sand mafia. Udumudilanka Bridge also remains an unfulfilled promise. People want high-level causeway at Mukteswaram and Peddapatnam.

After the death of Pulaparthi Narayana Murthy who had won in the 2014 elections from TDP, the party could not produce another strong leader from the constituency subsequently. However, the party has a strong cadre base here. Sources claim that Moka Bala Ganapathi, son of TDP spokesperson Moka Anandasagar, is under consideration.

YSRCP has already confirmed Zilla Parishad chairman Vipparthi Venu Gopal's name for the constituency. BJP too has good cadre here and since it had won this seat in 1999, the saffron party is also contemplating to put up a candidate and there is a possibility of the TDP-Jana Sena combine entering into an informal understanding with the BJP. If this happens, BJP would stand a chance to get its candidate elected.