Machilipatam LS: Political stalwarts represent constituency

Vijayawada: Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency in Krishna district is one of the oldest constituencies in the State and many political stalwarts were elected from here during the last seven decades.

Till 1990 this constituency was the stronghold of Congress party. Later the Telugu Desam Party gained hold and the TDP candidates were on winning spree.

Political stalwarts like Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, Ambati Brahmaniah and Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao represented this constituency.

Gowda, Yadadva, Kapu and Kamma voters are in sizeable numbers and play crucial role in the polls. Machilipatnam Lok Sabha has Assembly constituencies of Machilipatnam, Pamarru, Gudivada, Gannavaram, Penamaluru, Avanigadda and Pedana.

This Lok Sabha constituency has both urban and rural constituencies and voters have elected the candidates of all mainstream political parties - the Congress, TDP, YSRCP and CPI.

Mainstream political parties field the candidates belonging to Gowda, Yadava, Kapu and Kamma communities. Kavuri Sambasiva Rao a prominent leader from Kamma community was elected twice in 1984 and 1989. He was defeated twice in 1991 and 1999. In 1991 Kolusu Peda Reddaiah of TDP had won from here.

Film actor-turned-politician Kaikala Satyanarayana was also elected from Machilipatnam constituency in 1996. He was a very close associate of TDP founder and former Chief Minister late NT Rama Rao.

In 1998, the Congress candidate Kavuri Sambasiva Rao won defeating the film actor turned politician Kaikala Satyanrayana.

In 1999 Lok Sabha elections, senior TDP leader and former minister Ambati Brahmanaih was elected by defeating Congress candidate Kavuri Sambasiva Rao.

Voters of Machilipatnam constituency have so far elected the leaders of TDP, Congress, YSRCP and CPI. The only time the CPI candidate was elected is 1952. S Butchi Kotaiah of CPI had defeated the Congress candidate K V Ramaiah.

In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Vallabhaneni Balashowry of YSRCP won the polls by defeating his nearest rival and TDP candidate Konakalla Narayana Rao. Balashowry got 5,71,436 votes and Konakalla Narayana Rao got 5,11,295 votes.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections TDP candidate Konakalla Narayana won the contest by defeating YSRCP candidate Kolusu Parthasarathy. Narayana got 5,87,280 votes and Parthasarathy got 5,06,223 votes.

Kolusu Parthasarathy was in Congress party and had shifted loyalty to YSRCP. He had served as a minister in the undivided State during the Congress regime. In 2019, he got elected from Penamaluru Assembly constituency. However, this time the YSRCP has decided to drop him and he is likely to join TDP.