Tadepalligudem Assembly constituency: Kapus hold key to fate of candidates

Rajamehendravaram: Tadepalligudem is a major commercial centre in West Godavari district and is known for its onion and mirchi business. For whom onions and mirchi will prove to be profitable and who would be left in tears would be known soon.

Tadepalligudem Assembly constituency is one of the seven segments of the Narasapuram Lok Sabha constituency. It has 208,490 voters. This constituency consists of Tadepalligudem town (Municipal Area), Tadepalligudem Rural, and Pentapadu mandals.

Since 1951, this constituency has changed its shape with the names of Alampuram, Pentapadu and Tadepalligudem. Kapus are the prominent community here and the victory of any candidates would depend on which side this community would support.

This constituency is home to several prominent politicians and freedom fighters who won as MLAs. Pasala Suryachandra Rao was a freedom fighter and politician who served as the first Deputy Speaker of the Andhra State Legislative Assembly from 1953 to 1954. He was elected from the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party and represented the Alampuram constituency.

He was also elected to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council twice. Prominent Gandhian Ch V P Murthy Raju was also elected as MLA twice from this constituency. Eli Anjaneyulu served as a minister in NT Rama Rao's Cabinet in 1983. Another leader Pydikondala Manikyala Rao, who won as a BJP candidate in 2014, was a minister in N Chandrababu Naidu's Cabinet. Kottu Satyanarayana who won from YSRCP in 2019 is serving as the Deputy Chief Minister.

Remarkably, all these three had handled the endowments Ministry. All other leaders except Pydikondala Manikyala Rao (2014) and Eli Venkata Madhusudana Rao (2009) won twice as MLAs from Tadepalligudem. It is noteworthy that all MLAs except Chv P Murthy Raju who won in 1955 and 1978 belong to the Kapu caste.

Tadepalligudem is among the seats won by the Praja Rajyam Party in 2009. Then Eli Venkata Madhusudana Rao (Nani) won. In the latest 2019 election, Jana Sena Party candidate Bolisetti Srinivas got more than 3,600 votes. Jana Sena is said to be asking for this seat as part of the alliance. Sources said TDP may agree for this as it is their stronghold. There is no clarity on candidate of ruling party though Satyanarayana is still constituency in-charge. But according to sources, he is facing serious dissent in the party.

Every year, the rural area of Tadepalligudem suffers severely due to Erra Kaluva floods. Leaders do not get tired of promising to resolve the issue during polls but once they get elected, the promise is forgotten, lament the people in the constituency.

The condition of roads and civic amenities is extremely poor. The constituency is colloquially called ‘Domalagudem’, still apt as menace of mosquitoes continues due to the bad drainage system and unsanitary conditions.

A major drawback is the lack of proper planning for infrastructure expansion to suit the growing city. Summer storage tank which is 45-years-old is the only source of drinking water. With this, people are suffering from a shortage of water during summer every year.

Granting of titles to the occupied persons at the aerodrome land is also a major issue in this election. Leaders have been saying for 10 years that they will give titles to more than three thousand residents. It is expected that the voice of the people residing in the aerodrome lands will be heard at least during the 2024 elections.