TDP too may field a BC candidate

Anantapur: The Parliamentary constituency of Anantapur was established in 1952 with seven Assembly segments of Rayadurg, Uravakonda, Guntakal, Tadipatri, Singanamala, Anantapur urban and Kalyandurg.

The Congress Party candidates won from the constituency in 1952, 1971, 1989, 1996, 1998, 1991, 2004 and 2009 while the TDP won in 1984, 1999 and 2014. In 1957, CPI stalwart Tarimela Nagireddy won from the constituency.

The present sitting MLA Anantha Venkatarami Reddy of YSRCP is a senior parliamentarian and has the distinction of serving as an MP for four terms and contesting six times. He lost to TDP twice in 1999 and 2014 while he won in 1996, 1998, 2004 and 2009.

His father Anantha Venkata Reddy also served as MP for two terms. For 30 years, his family dominated the parliamentary constituency. After Anantha Venkatarami Reddy, J C Diwakar Reddy served as MP during 2014-19. He won on TDP ticket post AP bifurcation in 2014. In 2019, bureaucrat-turned-politician Talari Rangaiah contested and won as YSRCP candidate in 2019.

For 2024 Parliamentary elections, the YSRCP has shifted Talari Rangaiah to Kalyandurg Assembly constituency. Ex minister and Penukonda MLA M Sankara Narayana is nominated as YSRCP Anantapur MP candidate. He also hails from backward classes as Rangaiah.

The TDP is likely to nominate Kalava Srinivasulu, ex MP and ex minister as Anantapur Parliamentary candidate, in view of YSRCP fielding a Backward Classes candidate M Sankara Narayana for Anantapur Parliamentary constituency. The hope of J C Pawan Reddy for renomination who lost to Talari Rangaiah of YSRCP in 2019 elections, are dashed for 2024 elections in view of changing caste equations.

Kalava Sreenivasulu served as a TDP MP from 1999-2004. He was a journalist-turned-MP for the first time and later went into a political hiatus until he became an MLA from Rayadurgam in 2014. In 2019 too, he contested as MLA but lost to YSRCP. Of late, the TDP leadership, according to reliable sources, considering him for Anantapur MP constituency.

He is known to be active in party programmes and public life since 1999. Hailing from backward classes, the TDP leadership thinks him to be the right person to challenge the YSRCP candidate Sankara Narayana.