Votes of software professionals to play key role in Gannavaram

Vijayawada: Software professionals from Hyderabad and Bengaluru and NRIs from western countries and Gulf countries who voted on May 13 are expected to play a key role in deciding the fate of candidates in Gannavaram Assembly constituency.

It is estimated that more than 10,000 software professionals and employees working in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai and NRIs came to Gannavaram constituency to cast their votes.

Sitting MLA and YSRCP leader Vallabhaneni Vamsi won two times in 2014 and 2019 on behalf of TDP and now contested on behalf of YSRCP. Vamsi is well known for his social service activities and became a popular leader in Gannavaram constituency for more than 10 years. He defeated the YSRCP leader Yarlagadda Venkata Rao of YSRCP in 2019 elections and later defected to YSRCP.

On the other hand, Yarlagadda Venkata Rao quit the YSRCP and joined the TDP just before the Assembly elections. Both leaders have good following in the constituency and a very tough fight is expected.

Venkata Rao is contesting as the NDA alliance candidate. Yarlagadda is a noted businessman and has shares in software companies and owns other businesses too.

In the 2019 elections, Vamsi got 1,03,881 votes and Venkata Rao secured 13,043 votes and the difference of votes is very nominal (838). Vamsi got 47.07 per cent votes and Venkata Rao 46.69 per cent votes. The difference of votes is less than one per cent in 2019.

Since the winning margin was less than one percent last year, the local leaders opine that more than 10,000 votes of software professionals and NRIs cast in the present elections may play a crucial role in deciding the winning prospects of candidates.

The leaders and cadre of TDP and YSRCP are busy discussing chances of victory. Massive polling was reported in Gannavaram with 85.84 percent votes registered in the segment. Gannavaram is the citadel for the TDP for a long time. Backward class voters are the highest in the constituency with more than 1 lakh voters. More than 40,000 Kamma voters are there in the segment. Dalit voters count for around 50,000, Kapu voters around 30,000, and minority voters around 15,000.

As per estimates of the local leaders, both Vallabhaneni Vamsi and Yarlagadda Venkata Rao may get nearly the same number of votes.

Both are popular leaders and have personal supporters and followers. The campaign of YSRCP, TDP and Jana Sena leaders too had its impact on the polls.

If the anti-incumbency plays a decisive role, Vamsi may have lesser prospects.

Gannavaram is a very big constituency with 279054 voters. Total votes polled are 239545. It is difficult to say who may win because of the high percent of voting in the constituency. Both TDP and YSRCP claim that they have more winning prospects.