Srikakulam: TDP alliance pins hopes on support of urban voters

Srikakulam: TDP-led alliance leaders are hoping that urban voters favoured them in Srikakulam Assembly constituency. Srikakulam city, semi-urban areas around it, Srikakulam rural mandal and Gara are part of the constituency. Of the total 2,73,260 voters in the seat, more than half reside in Srikakulam city and its surrounding areas. The constituency recorded 70.22 per cent voter turnout, with 1,91,875 voters casting their vote.

YSRCP nominee Dharmana Prasada Rao and TDP alliance candidate Gondu Sankar are the main candidates in the seat. Prasada Rao is a senior leader and served as minister previously and has been facing various cases and allegations regarding land matters and others.

Earlier, he allegedly encouraged anti-social elements in Srikakulam city which led to his defeat in 2014 elections. Again in 2019, Prasada Rao was elected with 5,777 votes margin against the TDP candidate Gunda Lakshmi Devi.

This time, TDP candidate Gondu Sankar is a relatively new to politics. Besides he is below 50 years of age, with clean record and is relatable to youth, women and urban middle class people. TDP alliance leaders are expecting that urban voters who are bothered by YSRCP government’s commissions and omissions like garbage tax, bad roads, poor sanitation have voted for them.

In addition, urban educated voters, unemployed youth and middle-class people are highly distressed by lack of developmental works and exorbitant increase in prices of essential commodities. The poor law order situation in Srikakulam city in recent years marked by youth getting addicted to ganja and other drugs has also vexed urban dwellers who are not willing to support YSRCP once again.

Against this backdrop, TDP alliance leaders are hoping for a positive result. In addition, position of the ruling YSRCP is not comfortable in rural areas in Gara and Srikakulam rural mandals. Initially, YSRCP attempted to make use of dissidence in the TDP in Srikakulam constituency in their favour but gradually the TDP and its allies settled the issues with the TDP senior leader and former minister, Gunda Appala Surya Narayana and his wife and former MLA Gunda Lakshmi Devi who revolted after being denied ticket. These developments also turned adverse to the YSRCP in constituency.