Tough battle on cards

Puttaparthi (Anantapur): The total population of Puttaparthi Assembly constituency is 2,57,399 out of which 95.93 per cent is rural and 4.07 per cent urban population. The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) ratio is 11.5 and 6.9 per cent respectively.

As per the voters list of 2018, the total number of voters is 1,81,798 and 229 polling stations in the Assembly segment. The voter turnout in the 2014 Assembly elections was 82.15 per cent and 81.35 in Lok Sabha elections respectively.

Palle Raghunatha Reddy is trying his luck for another term and is locking horns with YSRCP candidate Duddukunta Sridhar Reddy. While Palle is banking on his own performance as well as that of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu while Duddukunta is confident of winning this time as he believes that YSRCP wave is sweeping the State and would easily see him through.

Both the candidates are engaged in hectic campaigning by making door-to-door visits in the constituency and connecting with voters. Palle is a strong man and is a veteran in politics. The Assembly constituency of Puttaparthi is lesser known as a political constituency and it is known worldwide as a spiritual destination due to the presence of Prashanthi Nilayam, established by Satya Sai Baba, a god-man of reputation. It was once the home for international tourists.

Puttaparthi as a modern town with hundreds of villas and farm house estates owed its development to the presence of institutions and service organisations established by the Sathya Sai Baba Central Trust.

The constituency population is 2.57 lakh and has 1.81 lakh voters. Usually, votes polled were around 1.5 lakh votes on an average in any election. Until 1999, Puttaparthi came under Nallamada constituency and by 2004 the constituency was reorganised into Puttaparthi Assembly constituency. Puttaparthi has more of a floating population on any given day.

The present MLA of Puttaparthi is Palle Raghunatha Reddy, an educationist running scores of institutions for over four decades and has had earned a name as an educationist and social worker. He is soft spoken and has many admirers.

Palle first became an MLA in 1999 from Nallamada constituency on TDP ticket. He lost to Congress in 2004 and in 2009. In 2014 elections, he successfully contested against the YSRCP candidate Chintaparthi Somasekhar Reddy and won by a margin of 6,901 votes.