CM considers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy's request positively

Nellore: Finally, Tirupati district has been formed merging three assembly segments from Nellore excluding three mandals from Venkatagiri constituency. The Chief Minister considered the request of Venkatagiri legislator Anam Ramanarayana Reddy excluding three mandals, Rapuru, Kaluvoya and Sydapuram saying there would be 'water wars' in future if major waterbodies in the district were inappropriately shared. The district has Somasila and Kandaleru reservoirs. In fact, according to analysts, the political agenda is there for placing a request before the Chief Minister to exclude these mandals. Prior to 2009, Rapur was an assembly segment, and it was merged with the existing Venkatagiri constituency and consequently old segment vanished as part of delimitation of assembly constituencies.

Rapur, Sydapuram and Kaluvoya are key areas of erstwhile Rapur constituency and now, the legislator requested for exclusion of same mandals proposed to be merged with the new Tirupati district. Ramanarayana Reddy is having huge contacts in erstwhile Rapur constituency and there is an impending delimitation process of assembly segments, and the legislator prepared a ground for the process.

"If these mandals were included in the new district, there would be no chances of resuming the old constituency. So, they should be retained in Nellore for formation of constituency again. The legislator may be having plans to put a proposal before the Committee to revive the old constituency," said a political analyst. Ramanarayana Reddy has been accusing the former Chief Minister Nedurumalli Janardhan Reedy implicitly who was instrumental in merging the Rapur constituency with Venkatagiri due to political rivalries to lessen influence of Anam family in the district. Now, this is high time for Anam family to regain their political bastion to strengthen their political power, the analyst added.

There have been wars of words between Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and Nedurumalli Ramkumar Reddy, son of Janardhan Reddy for some time on the issue of reorganisation even though both are from the ruling party.