Amalapuram LS constituency: TDP-Jana Sena alliance makes YSRCP jittery

Rajamahendravaram: Amalapuram Lok Sabha constituency was formed in 1952. Amalapuram, Kothapeta, P Gannavaram, Mummidivaram, Mandapeta, Razole and Ramachandrapuram Assembly constituencies are under its jurisdiction.

In 2007, this Lok Sabha constituency became SC reserved and the shape of the constituency has changed. Amalapuram, P Gannavaram and Razole Assembly segments of this Lok Sabha seat are SC-reserved seats.

Amalapuram has the third highest SC population in the country. The Congress party has won nine times in the 15 elections held here so far. TDP candidates won five times. In the three simultaneous elections held from 1961 to 1977, Bayya Suryanarayana Murthy, the leader of Congress party, was elected as MP three times in a row. G M C Balayogi won the 1991, 1998 and 1999 Lok Sabha elections on behalf of TDP and was elected as Lok Sabha Speaker.

MPs who have won twice include Kusuma Krishna Murthy and G V Harsh Kumar. From the Congress party, Kusuma Krishna Murthy won the 1977 and 1989 elections, while Harsha Kumar won the 2004 and 2009 elections.

YSRCP candidate Chinta Anuradha won the election in 2019. In the three-cornered contest then, Anuradha got 4,85,313 votes, while the nearest rival and TDP candidate Ganti Harish Madhur got 4,45,347 votes.

D M R Shekhar who contested from Jana Sena Party got 2,54,848 votes. The YSRCP got about 40 per cent of the votes, while the TDP and Jana Sena together got 56 per cent of the votes. Against this background, the TDP-Jana Sena alliance in the 2024 elections is causing serious concern to YSRCP.

Ganti Harish Madhur is likely to contest from TDP once again. But the TDP high command is seriously considering the candidature of former MP A J V B Maheswara Rao's daughter Pamu Satyasri. According to party sources, if the ticket is allotted to her, Ganti Harish Madhur, son of GMC Balayogi, may be fielded as MLA candidate from somewhere in Amalapuram or P Gannavaram.

YSRCP circles are expressing doubt about Anuradha's chances of getting a ticket this time around. It seems that Razjole MLA Rapaka Vara Prasad or West Godavari district Chintalapudi's MLA V R Eliza can be fielded from the Amalapuram MP seat. Former MP Harsh Kumar or his son Sriraj are likely to contest from the Congress Party.