Vijayawada: In all likelihood, the Nandigama (SC) Assembly will witness a very close contest between sitting TD MLA Tangirala Sowmya and Monditoka Jaganmohana Rao of the YSRC, despite the fact that the Jana Sena-supported BSP candidate Bacchalakura Pushparaj is also in the fray.
M. Jaganmohana Rao
Nandigama is considered to be an important constituency; it had so far give three ministers — Vasantha Nageswara Rao, Mukkapati Venkateswara Rao and Devineni Venkata Ramana — to the state and anyone who wins in 2019 will fancy a shot at a Cabinet berth.
There are 1,95,011 registered voters in the constituency, 99,361 women voters, 95,642 men and eight transgenders .
In 2014, TD candidate Tangirala Prabhakar Rao defeated Dr Jaganmohana Rao, but passed away before he could be sworn-in as an MLA. In the byelection that followed, the TD fielded Prabhakar Rao’s daughter Sowmya. The YSRC did not put up a candidate but the Congress did.
With the strong anti-Congress sentiment prevailing so soon after bifurcation, Mr Babu Rao could not put up a fight and the result was a foregone conclusion.
Five years later, Ms Sowmya is confident that her development works will bring her an easy victory.
Dr Rao meanwhile has toiled hard during the last five years, building base and a rapport with the voters. He also participated in several protests against the TD government. Now, the YSRC candidate is confident that his party’s Navaratnalu scheme and the anti-incumbency factor will weigh heavily on the TD.
Since both Ms Sowmya and Dr Rao are SC Madigas, the community vote is expected to be split. Congress candidate Velpula Parameswara Rao too is from the community, and he is expected to walk away with a fraction of the votes.
Most of the SC Mala votes, numbering about 18,000 voters, are expected to go to the YSRC, while the Kammas may swing towards the TD. Based on local body polls held earlier, some of the Kamma votes will also go to the YSRC.
The Kapus are expected to vote for the Jana Sena backed BSP candidate Bacchala Kura Pushparaj, but the community.
Effectively, the 35,000-odd Yadava voters will decide the fate of the constituency. Some of the Yadava voters are likely to back the YSRC but the undecided voters may veer towards the TD.
