KAKINADA: Many film stars have moved into politics and won elections with huge majorities. But only a few of them have left their imprint in their constituencies. Cine actor and politician Sri Uppalapati Venkata Krishnam Raju was one among such select few.
First, he was elected from Kakinada Lok Sabha constituency with the third highest majority registered in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections. He was the BJP candidate. As Kakinada MP, he rendered a great service to the people of the port town. He made the first move towards placing Kakinada on the Main Railway Line by linking it with Pithapuram.
This was a long-pending demand ever since Independence. For the first time, the project got mentioned in the Railway Budget when Krishnam Raju was Kakinada MP and a token allocation of `1 lakh was made for this in the budget. Even now, the promise has not been fulfilled, though. Yet, the people of Kakinada appreciated the work done by Krishnam Raju vis a vis various projects for the region.
In the 1999 general elections, he was again elected to the Lok Sabha, this time from Narsapur in West Godavari district. He made his mark in the constituency. Under the Grameena Sadak Yojana launched by the Vajpayee government, he got funds sanctioned for laying roads in several villages in the constituency. Almost, in every constituency, a plaque can be found with a mention of his name.
With his efforts, road connectivity improved vastly in Narsapur constituency. More than `400 crore was spent for the purpose, noted Dasari Prasada, a BJP leader.
The Late Lok Sabha Speaker GMC Balayogi had commented that “Krishnam Raju is not like other film stars in politics. They only lend a touch of filmy glamour to politics. They don’t mean business. Krishnam Raju is down-to-earth and he functions like a professional politician in getting things done for the people. He acts without self-interest. I have drawn inspiration from him.’’
Krishnam Raju contested from Narsapuram constituency twice -- in the 1989 and 1994 general elections on behalf of the Congress party and he was defeated. He joined the Praja Rajyam party floated by cine actor Chiranjeevi and contested from Rajamahendravaram Lok Sabha constituency, but was defeated.
