Narasapuram: Kapus to call shots in Assembly polls

Rajamahendravaram : The Narasapuram Assembly constituency in West Godavari district came into existence in 1951. As per the 2019 elections, there are a total of 1,68,122 voters in the constituency.

Kapu community plays a decisive role with 36 per cent of the voters followed by Settibalija Gowda’s 17 per cent and fishermen 15 per cent. There are 4,000 SCs and 12,000 upper castes like Vysyas, Brahmins and Kshatriyas in this constituency.

For more than 150 years, Narasapuram is famous for its intricate lace products. There are about 50 lace exporting companies in this town. This sector is generating employment and foreign exchange for many people. River Godavari joins the sea near Narasapuram. Perupalem beach is a popular tourist spot. Velankini Church, ancient Sri Adikesava Ember Mannar temple and Kondalamma temple are popular tourist places.

This constituency used to be the stronghold of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). From 1983 to 2004, TDP candidates won six consecutive elections. Chegondi Harirama Jogaiah (1983, 1985) won twice and Kothapalli Subbarayudu (1989, 1994, 1999, 2004) four times. Mudunuri Prasada Raju won from that party in 2009 and Kothapalli Subbarayudu won in 2012 by-election. In 2014, TDP candidate Bandaru Madhav Naidu has registered victory.

In 2019, Mudunuri Prasada Raju won from YSRCP. In 2019, the TDP fell to the third position here. Jana Sena candidate Bommidi Naykar stood at second position.

In this background, the Jana Sena party is demanding this seat as part of the alliance. If the alliance partner TDP agrees, then it is likely to field Agnikula Kshatriya candidate. YSRCP sitting MLA Mudunuri Prasada Raju is also a Kshatriya. If TDP decides to contest the seat, it may decide on Kovvali Yathiraja Rammohan Naidu an NRI and also belonging to Kapu community.

TDP is learnt to have suggested to Jana Sena to field Bommidi Naikar of JSP from Pedana Assembly under the Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency which is adjacent to Narasapuram. It is felt that before this weekend, the TDP-JSP alliance is expected to take a final decision on seat-sharing and contesting candidates.

YSRCP sources say that they will give another chance to Mudunuri Prasada Raju. In the three lists released so far, no one has been declared as coordinator for this constituency. Prasada Raju is currently the chief whip and he is close to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Being election time, people are questioning the ruling party about the promises they had made before last elections. They said that the YSRCP had promised to construct a district headquarters in Narasapuram but it was shifted to Bhimavaram. Medical College was sanctioned for Palakollu instead of Narasapuram.

Despite the promise to build a port, there has been no progress. The construction of a bridge over the Vasishta Godavari is a long-standing demand but there has been no progress. Aqua University was also promised but it did not materialise. Even the dumping yard next to the crematorium was not shifted.