Andhra Pradesh: Victory not a cakewalk for Jogi, 3 ex ministers

Vijayawada: Victory in the state Assembly elections may not be a cakewalk for one incumbent minister and three former ministers in erstwhile Krishna district. Various factors like local-non-local issues and fielding of strong opponents are likely influence their election prospects.

Housing minister Jogi Ramesh, who won two times from Pedana Assembly seat, has contested from Penamaluru this time. Ramesh is non local candidate and is facing the strong opponent Bode Prasad of the TDP.

Bode Prasad, who was MLA from 2014 to 2019, maintained strong ties with the voters for the past five years with a view to contest and win the elections from Penamaluru despite his defeat. On the other hand, housing minister Ramesh is non-local candidate and has no contacts with the YSRCP cadre in the seat.

This has made a huge impact in the campaign and the poll management. Jogi Ramesh belongs to Gowda caste and Bode Prasad hails from Kamma caste. Penamaluru is the bastion for Kamma leaders for a long time. The TDP cadre is confident that Bode Prasad has an edge and may win the poll battle. Followers of Jogi Ramesh too claim that the minister will be elected again. The voters have already given verdict and counting will be held on June 4.

Former minister, YSRCP leader and four-time MLA Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao alias Nani has once again contested from Gudivada seat in Krishna district. Victory seems to be not easy for Kodali Nani because of anti-incumbency in the state and local TDP cadre and supporters worked very hard to defeat Kodali Nani.

Kodali Nani has worked as civil supplies minister in the YSRCP government after it won the polls in 2019.

He is a vocal critic of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Nara Lokesh. This may affect the winning prospects of Nani. Neutral voters

and long-time TDP fans may have voted against

Kodali Nani.

The TDP also fielded a wealthy NRI Venigandla Ramu, who had campaigned many months in the constituency and conducted an excellent poll management. Gudivada is one of constituencies where the highest amount was spent in the polls to woo voters. Kodali Nani has personal following and supporters and is pinning his hopes on his personal achievements and work he has done in the

last 20 years in Gudivada constituency. Tight contest is expected in Gudivada constituency.

Former endowments minister Velampalli Srinivas contested from Vijayawada Central constituency. Local and non-local factor may hit his winning prospects. He won two times from Vijayawada West seat and the party has changed his segment from West to Central.

His opponent Bonda Umamaheswara Rao has wide contacts with voters in

Central constituency for over a decade. Both leaders have campaigned vigorously but anti-incumbency factor and local and non-local issue may affect Srinivas’s prospects.

Bonda Uma won from Central constituency in 2014 elections. He contested as TDP alliance candidate and may get more votes compared to Velampalli Srinivas because he enjoyed the support of both Jana Sena and BJP.

The TDP leader and senior politician Kolusu Parthasarathy contested from Nuzvid Assembly seat. He was the minister in the in Congress in united AP. He won from Penamaluru in 2019 elections but was denied ticket in 2024 by the YSRCP leadership.

Parthasarathy quit YSRCP and joined the TDP and contested from Nuzvid. Local and non-local factor may affect his winning prospects. Nuzvid YSRCP candidate Meka Pratap Apparao is a popular leader in Nuzvid and earlier won three times, including in 2019 elections.

The senior political leader has an edge over non-local candidate Parthasarathy. The candidates, supporters and voters are eagerly waiting for the counting day

on June 4. Parthasarathy earlier won elections three times in a long political career spanning more than two decades. He is considered a senior BC leader in erstwhile Krishna district and one of the influential Yadava leaders in the state.