Two heirs from influential political families lock horns for Rajampet Lok Sabha seat
KADAPA: Two heirs from prominent political families in Chittoor district are contesting for the Rajampet parliamentary seat.
While Peddireddy Midhun Reddy, son of Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, the MLA from Punganur, is contesting on the YSRC ticket, while former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, son of late minister Nallari Amarnath Reddy, is the BJP candidate, backed by the TDP and JSP.
These two candidates from influential social groups, having financial and local support are engaged in a fierce battle.
Midhun Reddy is seeking to score a hat-trick, while Kiran Kumar, whose political future was uncertain for over a decade, has launched an intense effort to revive his political fortunes.
As a result, the contest between the two has become intense. Both leaders face social challenges, local issues, and discontent within their support bases. There are a total of 16,40,853 voters in the Rajampet parliamentary constituency, including 8,06,342 men, 8,34,510 women, and 156 transgenders.
The constituency comprises seven Assembly segments: Piler, Railway Kodur (SC), Rayachoti, Rajampet, Tamballapalle, Madanapalle from Annamayya district, and Punganur from Chittoor district.
Muslim, Balija, Reddy, Yadav, SC (Scheduled Caste), and BC (Backward Class) voters are present in significant numbers. Rajampet parliamentary constituency was formed in 1957. Since then, there have been 16 elections.
In these elections, 12 candidates from the Balija community and four from the Reddy community have been elected.
After losing as the Jai Samaikyandhra Party candidate in 2014, Kiran Kumar stayed away from politics. However, in a surprise move, he joined the BJP and is now in the fray for the Rajampet Lok Sabha seat.
Challenging Kiran Kumar, Midhun Reddy, who won in 2014 and 2019, wants to win the seat for the third time, with the backing of his father Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and uncle Peddireddy Dwarakanath Reddy.
Kiran Kumar also has the support of his brother Nallari Kishan Kumar Reddy, the TDP candidate from Piler, along with financial and muscle power.
Kiran Kumar’s supporters claim that if he wins, he is likely to become a Union Minister. In six of the seven Assembly segments (except Railway Kodur), the minority Muslim votes could play a crucial role in the outcome.
Local challenges and dissidence among party leaders have become significant factors. While Ramachandra Reddy has a stronghold in Madanapalle, Tamballapalle, and Punganur, benefiting Midhun Reddy, Nallari Kishan Kumar Reddy’s strength in Piler could benefit Kiran Kumar.
However, in Thamballapalle, dissidents like former MLA Shankar Yadav and BJP senior leader Challa Narsimha Reddy are not supporting the TDP candidate Jayachandra Reddy, which could impact Kiran Kumar’s prospects.
Similarly, in Rajampet, sitting MLA Meda Mallikarjuna Reddy and his supporters are not cooperating with the YSRC candidate Akepati Amarnath Reddy and are instead working for Kiran Kumar’s victory.
Issues like the failure to rebuild the Annamayya and Pincha projects damaged by floods, the lack of housing for flood victims, and the shifting of the proposed medical college from Rajampet to Madanapalle have led to some discontent among voters against the YSRC in Rajampet, which might potentially benefit Kiran Kumar.
In Madanapalle, Jana Sena leader Gangarapu Ramdasu Chowdary, who expected a ticket, is not supporting the TDP candidate Shajahan Basha.
Moreover, the Muslim voters in six Assembly segments may have some reservations about the BJP due to the reservation issue, potentially benefiting the YSRC.
As the two political heirs engage in an intense battle, there is keen interest on what would be the poll outcome.
