Cosmopolitan Rajahmundry looks beyond caste

Rajamahendravaram: Politically enlightened Rajamahendravaram with its cosmopolitan outlook did not give caste much importance when it comes to politics. The people of Rajahmundry elected representatives of upper castes like Kamma, Brahmin, Kapu and Vysya as also of Devanga, Turpu Kapu and Velama, who are BCs.

The most populous castes in the constituency include Settibalija-Gowda, Velama, Devanga-Padmashali, Brahmin, Vysya, Kapu, Yadava, etc.

Political observers feel that this reflects the political consciousness of the voters here and the harmony among the castes.

From 1952 till now, 15 elections were held for Rajahmundry Assembly constituency. Candidates from CPI, Praja Party, Congress, TDP and BJP won in the polls. Twelve persons from these five parties served as MLAs. In 1952, CPI leader Chitturi Prabhakara Chowdary was elected as the first MLA. Dr. AB Nageswara Rao won in 1955. He also served as a minister of state in state Cabinet. People still respect him as a selfless man and an epitome of righteousness.

Potula Veerabhadra Rao (1962), Chitturi Prabhakara Chowdari (1967), Battula Mallikarjuna Rao (1972), and Tatavarthi Satyavathi (1978) were among those who won as MLAs. After the emergence of the TDP in 1982, TDP candidate Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary won in 1982 and 1985. In 1989, ACY Reddy, of Congress who won against Butchaiah Chowdary, served as the chairman of the state Drainage Board in the then CM Marri Chenna Reddy's Cabinet.

Butchaiah Chaudhary was re-elected as MLA in 1994 and 1999. He served as the vice-president of the state Planning Board. In 1994’s NTR Cabinet, Butchaiah Chowdhury worked for 8 months as the minister of civil supplies. In 2004 and 2009, Congress leader Routhu Suryaprakasa Rao won the elections consecutively. Dr Akula Satyanarayana, who contested as a BJP candidate in 2014, won with the support of TDP as part of an alliance.

TDP candidate Adireddy Bhavani elected MLA in the 2019 election weathering the YSRCP wave. She was the second woman MLA of Rajahmundry. Butchaiah Chowdary (TDP) won highest number of of times, i.e. four times as MLA in this constituency.

Despite contesting in Rajahmundry in 2014 and 2019, the YSRCP did not win even once. The party hopes to field a BC candidate in 2024 election to try its luck.

Surprisingly, in Rajahmundry constituency which is right on the banks of Godavari river, clean drinking water is the main election issue every time. Almost half of the city lies in the low-lying area. When it rains, many areas get submerged. Fixing the drainage system and solving the traffic problems are also routine election promises of candidates. Narrow roads, traffic jams, unsanitary conditions and water pollution are the main problems that are plaguing the constituency.