From sarpanch to MLA: Sankar’s path to Assembly

Srikakulam : Gondu Sankar, a civil engineer, started his political journey in politics as a sarpanch and rose to the level of MLA. He is a native of Kistappapeta village in Srikakulam Rural while his father Gondu Jagannadha Rao alias Jagapathi served as mandal parishad president (MPP) of Srikakulam mandal.

His mother Kalavathi served as sarpanch of Kistappapeta village in the past and is an MPTC member now. Sankar’s wife Swathi, who is the sister of YSRCP MLC Varudu Kalyani, also served as sarpanch of Kistappapeta village previously. He is an ardent follower of art of living founder Sri Sri Ravi Sankar and practises yoga and meditation.

Continuing family legacy in the local body politics, he too became MPTC member in 2014. In 2021 Sankar was elected as sarpanch of Kistappapeta village and became district president of sarpanches association.

At that time, he organised several movements for the identity and existence of local bodies. TDP high command recognised services of Sankar and allotted MLA seat in the recent elections in which he emerged victorious by defeating YSRCP candidate and revenue minister Dharmana Prasada Rao by a margin of 52,521 votes.

Sankar is known for his social service in Srikakulam constituency by serving poor people in different ways. He also maintained Anna canteen during YSRCP’s five years period in Srikakulam city. Now as MLA, he sets a goal for himself to make Srikakulam as a beautiful city by solving drainage, water supply problems and by widening of roads.