Unlike many other districts, Kurnool has not been the stronghold of any one party
Y S Jaganmohan Reddy at a rally in Andhra Pradesh. (Photo: PTI/File)
Hyderabad: Rayalaseema’s 50-odd Assembly seats could be the game changer in the Seemandhra elections and both the Telugu Desam and YSR Congeress will be looking to wrest the advantage in the four Rayalaseema districts, especially in Kurnool.
Unlike many other districts, Kurnool has not been the stronghold of any one party; the party which had won most of the district’s 14 Assembly seats has invariably formed government in the past.
YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy might have scored a point or two by holding public meetings across the district to finish off the party’s campaign. Telugu Desam supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu was supposed to campaign in Kurnool over the last few days, but that did not come about.
Kurnool TD candidate T.G. Venkatesh said, “The trends are supporting us and definitely we will win and form government. Chandrababu Naidu is a very experienced person. YSRC is only riding on a sentiment wave, but we will do well here.”
In the 1994 elections, when TD had formed government, the party had won eight of the 14 seats in Kurnool with one going to the CPM and the remaining to the Congress. In 1999, the TD had won 10 seats in Kurnool and formed the government.
Subsequent elections witnessed a reversal with the Congress winning 11 seats in 2004 and performed similarly in 2009 as well forming the government both times. This time around, the Congress is not in the reckoning in most Assembly segments and the fight is between the TD and YSRC.
Some of the heavyweights in Kurnool, like former ministers Mr Venkatesh, Mr Erasu Pratap Reddy and Mr Shilpa Mohan Reddy have defected to the TD.
( Source : dc )
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