Parties rely on East Godavari sentiment

Rajamahendravaram: Every party believes that they will get majority in the elections, if they win majority seats in East Godavari as a sentiment. Many parties kickoff their electioneering from East Godavari district. The district came into existence in the year 1925.

As many as five times the constituencies were reconstituted from 1952 to 2009. Now the district has 19 Assembly constituencies after delimitation in 2009 as against 12 Assembly constituencies in its first election held in 1952.

Though there are changes in Assembly constituencies, Rajamahendravaram Kakinada, Tuni, Pithapuram, Anaparthi, Amalapuram and Ramachandrapuram Assembly constituencies are intact. In 1952, the first elections were held under United Madras State, in 12 Assembly constituencies Bhadrachalam, Kakinada, Amalapuram, Razole, Tuni, Pithapuram, Peddapuram, Burugupudi, Rajamahendravaram, Ramachandrapuram and Anaparthi.

Later, in 1955, the number of Assembly constituencies were increased to 18 and in 1962, the Assembly constituencies are enhanced to 21 and the same was continued in 1967. In 1978, new Assembly constituencies Mummidivaram and Alamur came into existence. After three decades, in 2009 as part of delimitation, Assembly constituencies have been reduced to 19, which are continuing till date.

The constituencies are-- Mummidivaram (SC), Amalapuram (SC), P Gannavaram (SC), Razole (SC), Rampachodavaram (ST). Kothapeta, Ramachandrapuram, Mandapeta, Anaparthi, Tuni, Pithapuram, Prattipadu, Peddapuram, Kakinada (Rural), Kakinada (Urban), Jaggampeta, Rajanagaram, Rajamahendravaram (Urban) and Rajamahendravaram (Rural). Meanwhile, the district is having as many as 40,13,770 voters, male-19,94,638, female-20,18,747 and transgenders-384.