200 Families From YSRC, CPIM Join TD

Vijayawada: Nearly 200 families from the YSRC and the CPIM joined the Telugu Desam in the presence of TD working president and education minister Nara Lokesh on Monday.

Those who joined the TDP from the Mangalagiri assembly constituency include CPIM’s former mandal committee member Sivannarayana along with 100 families from Kolanukonda village of Tadepalli mandal; former CPIM mandal secretary and former upa-sarpanch Musali Jyothibasu along with 40 families from Atmakur village in Mangalagiri mandal; YSR Congress senior leader Nuthalapati Chennakesava Rao along with 10 families from Perukalapudi of Duggirala mandal; YSR Congress leader Mudraboyina Srinu along with 15 families from Eemani village of Duggirala mandal and YSR Congress leader Sheik Yuvan along with 10 families from Chiluvuru village of Duggirala mandal.

Lokesh noted that when he arrived at Mangalagiri just 21 days before the elections in 2019, the people were unable to “understand” him and he too could not make out their problems.

This resulted in his defeat in the election in the Mangalagiri segment by a margin of 5,300 votes.

He said that after reaching out to the people and understanding their problems in the next five years by taking up 26 welfare and developmental works, the people elected him with a 91,000 vote majority which was the third highest in the state in the 2024 elections.

Lokesh listed out a series of welfare and developmental works that he took up in the constituency including the distribution of 7,000 house pattas to the people.

He promised to complete the underground drainage works taken up at a cost of `1,300 crore by 2029.

With regard to the local body elections, Lokesh called upon the party leaders and the cadre to ensure that the alliance nominees got elected with a thumping majority.