No berth for Jaggaiahpet in Cabinet for 2 decades

Vijayawada: Jaggaiahpet voters have a tendency of electing candidates based on the candidate’s strength and influence in the constituency. Interestingly, the seat keeps revolving between the TDP, Congress and now the YSRCP. Between 1985 and 2019, it used to be a fight between TDP and Congress.

The Assembly constituency has come under NTR district after formation of new districts. Only three MLAs had been representing the constituency for the last 38 years. This is unusual in the state politics. Unluckily, the MLAs elected from the constituency could not get berth in the state cabinet for over two decades.

Jaggaiahpet is famous for cement and small-scale chemical industries. The constituency consists of Jaggaiahpet, Vatsavai and Penuganchiprolu mandals and Kamma, backward classes, Arya Vysya and Muslim voters are in sizeable numbers. They play vital role in deciding the fate of the contesting candidates.

TDP candidates Nettem Raghuram was elected three times in 1985,1989 and 1994. He is the only leader who secured hat trick in the constituency. Raghuram was in the state Cabinet during N Chandrababu Naidu government and served as excise minister.

Another TDP leader Sriram Tataiah was elected twice in 2009 and 2014 respectively. YSRCP leader Samineni Udaya Bhanu was elected from Jaggaiahpet in 2019. Before that he was elected to Assembly from Jaggaiahpet in 1999 and 2004 on behalf of Congress. Since the election of Bhanu in 1999, the Jaggaiahpet constituency did not get berth in the state Cabinet. Bhanu later got elected in 2004 on behalf of Congress and after bifurcation of the state, he joined YSRCP and in 2019 won from this constituency.

Elections were held 15 times to Jaggaiahpet Assembly seat since 1952. Congress candidates won six times and TDP candidates six times. YSRCP and CPI candidates were elected one time each and an independent got elected once.

TDP candidate Akkineni Lokeswara Rao was elected in 1983. Congress candidate Bodduluru Ramarao was elected in 1978 and Congress candidate Vasireddy Rajyalakshmamma won in the byelections held in 1972. Before that, independent candidate VRKGKM Prasad was elected in 1972. Later, the MLA Prasad was passed away.

Rebaala Butchi Ramashresti of Congress won the contest in 1967, G Venkateswarlu of Congress was elected in 1962 and P Venkateswarlu of CPI was elected in 1952.