Kovuru can be in TDP kitty if candidate is right

Nellore: After having lost its hold on Kovur Assembly constituency, TDP is making all out efforts to regain its past glory by fielding a powerful candidate in the coming 2024 elections.

As part of this, during his Yuva Galam padayatra, TDP national secretary Nara Lokesh launched damage control measures by organising meetings with Girijans and fishermen and BCs as they were the deciding factor in Kovuru Assembly constituency.

Kovuru constituency has been a stronghold for TDP since the formation of the party in 1983. It had won the seat seven times since 1983 defeating Congress Party. Nallapureddy Srinivasulu Reddy and his son N Prasanna Kumar Reddy had become ministers in NTR Cabinet.

However, the duo quit from TDP following differences with N Chandrababu Naidu. Srinivasulu Reddy was elected on Congress ticket defeating his political mentor and TDP senior leader Bezawada Papi Reddy in 1989 elections, while his son N Prasana Kumar Reddy got elected twice on YSRCP ticket by defeating TDP nominee Somireddy Chandra Mohan Reddy in 2012 (byelection) and Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy (TDP) in 2019 elections.

In 2009, the then chief minster Y S Rajasekhara Reddy tried to defeat the TDP candidate through triangular contest by getting Praja Rajyam Party field a tribal woman Tupakula Munemma of Kota mandal but the move failed as TDP nominee N Prasananna Kumar Reddy won with majority of 7,444 against Congress candidate Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy.

After Nallapureddy family quit TDP, that party had been tasting bitter experience by losing the seat till 2014 when its candidate Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy won in a triangular contest.

Now political equations are entirely different as there is said to be serious anti-incumbency, especially among the downtrodden communities and also against YSRCP MLA Prasananna Kumar Reddy in the constituency. TDP will regain the seat provided it finds a strong candidate.

It is said that TDP is keen on giving ticket to Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy. The party feels that since it is in alliance with Jana Sena, it would be able to attract the SC,ST, BC and minority votes and would benefit from the anti-incumbency factor.