Achanta may become a battleground for ex ministers

Achanta: Achanta Assembly constituency is part of Narasapuram Lok Sabha constituency in West Godavari district. Penugonda, Achanta, Penumantra and part of Poduru mandals fall under this constituency. It has a total of 1,74,229 voters.

Achanta, which was an SC reserved constituency, has become general category constituency after 2009 delimitation. So far, 13 elections have been held from 1962 to 2019. After the formation of the TDP, it was allotted to CPM as part of the alliance. CPM candidates won against the Congress in the 1985, 1989 and 1994 elections.

Mocharla Johar won from TDP in 1999 elections and Peethala Sujatha won from TDP in 2004 elections. Achanta has become a VIP constituency since 2017 with consecutive MLAs getting a seat in the Cabinet.

Peethala Sujatha, who won in 2004 on behalf of TDP for the first time became a minister later in 2014 (elected from Chintalapudi). Pithani Satyanarayana won on behalf of Congress in 2009 and on behalf of TDP in 2014. He became a minister in 2017. Cherukuvada Sri Ranganadha Raju, who won as the candidate of the YSRCP in 2019 against Satyanarayana, was also a Cabinet minister for more than two years.

In this constituency, BCs are more in number and they will play a decisive role in the elections. Rameswaraswamy temple, Venugopalaswamy temple in Achanta and Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari temple at Penugonda are famous spiritual centres. Freedom fighter and communist leader Perepa Mrityunjayudu and famous agronomist Nekkanti Subbarao who developed the IR-8 type rice variety hailed from Achanta.

Although Jana Sena party has supporters, it lacks efficient leadership and cadre in the constituency. Hence, the party is not interested in contesting from this constituency. Ch Suryaprakash is party JSP in-charge while former minister Pithani Satyanarayana is the TDP in-charge.

Recently, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu participated in the ‘Raa-Kadaliraa’ meeting in Achanta. which was attended by huge crowds despite allegations of party not coordinating with the Jana Sena cadres.

TDP sources feel that there is no alternative to Pithani Satyanarayana in the constituency. YSRCP is also leaning towards sitting MLA Cherukuvada Sri Ranganatha Raju.

With this, it is certain that Achanta will become a battleground for the two former ministers who are appear to be strong. Some of the second-tier leaders in the YSRCP are unhappy with the sitting MLA Sri Ranganatha Raju.

YSRCP is concerned by the fact that BC leader Pithani Satyanarayana is the TDP candidate in Achanta, where BCs play a decisive role, and that Kapu castes are also supporting him in the form of Jana Sena.

Initially, the YSRCP leadership searched for a strong BC candidate but in vain. YSRCP has pinned hopes on Ranganatha Raju's political experience and financial ability.

Lack of development in Achanta despite many MLAs getting Cabinet berths, particularly in regard to construction of houses for poor is a negative factor for any contestant.

Successive leaders have forgotten their promise to build a bridge connecting the villages of Ayodhya Lanka village. Rock filling is believed to protect lanka village from floods, but it did not happen. The promise of construction of a fire station in Achanta constituency headquarters was also not fulfilled.