Avanigadda, a bastion of Kapu leaders

Vijayawada: Avanigadda Assembly constituency is well known as a bastion of Kapu leaders, who were elected maximum number of times and worked as the ministers in the Congress and the TDP governments. Avanigadda is one of the oldest constituencies in Krishna district.

Political stalwarts like Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao and Simhadri Satyanarayana represented Avanigadda constituency. Senior politician and three-times MLA Mandali Buddha Prasad was the Deputy Speaker of Assembly from 2014 to 2019.

Avanigadda is famous for horticulture crops and lush green agricultural fields. Congress, TDP and later YSRCP candidates won in the elections since the constituency was formed in 1962.

Congress leader Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao was elected three times from the constituency in 1972, 1978 and 1983. His son Mandali Buddha Prasad was elected three times from the constituency in 1999, 2004 on behalf of Congress and again in 2014 from TDP. Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao was the minister in the Cabinets of chief ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Jalagam Venkgala Rao.

Another prominent leader from Avanigadda constituency is Simhadri Satyanarayana of the TDP. He was elected three times in a row in 1985, 1989 and 1994. He was the minister in the Cabinet under the leadership of NT Rama Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu.

In 2019 elections, the YSRCP candidate Simhadri Ramesh Babu was elected from Avanigadda. Ramesh Babu was polled 78,447 votes and the TDP candidate Mandali Buddha Prasad got 57,722 votes.

In 2014 elections, the TDP leader Mandali Buddha Prasad got 80,995 votes and YSRCP candidate Simhadri Ramesh Babu secured 75,037 votes.

In 2009 Assembly elections, the TDP candidate Ambati Brahmanaiah won the elections by defeating the nearest rival Mandali Buddha Prasad of Congress by a margin of 417 votes. Brahmanaiah got 55,316 votes and Buddha Prasad 54,899 votes.

Yarlagadda Sivaram Prasad of Congress was elected two times in 1962 and 1967.

Politics of Avanigadda changed after the entry of Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao in 1972. He was elected three times in 1972,1978 and 1983. He was defeated two times in 1985 and 1989 respectively. He contested five times.

His son Mandali Buddha Prasad contested five times from Avanigadda. He was elected in 1999, 2004 and 2014. He was defeated in 2009 and 2019. Mandali family members contested 10 times since Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao contested first time in 1972.

The constituency has mandals of Avanigadda, Nagayalanka, Koduru, Challapalli, Mopidevi and Ghantasala

Kapu community and BC voters play decisive role in Avanigadda Assembly constituency and the mainstream political parties field Kapu candidates. Avanigadda in Divi Seema region is frequently affected by cyclones. The main livelihood is agriculture and fishing for the people of Avanigadda.