Postal ballots likely to decide fate of candidates in Nellore

Nellore: The postal ballot votes are going to play a crucial role in deciding the fate of candidates contesting in elections as for the time in the history of Nellore district, 95 per cent polling was registered in all 10 Assembly constituencies in 2024 elections.

The postal votes will be important particularly in Nellore Rural, Atmakuru and Guduru Assembly constituencies where tough fight was witnessed between YSRCP and TDP alliance candidates and both sides are keeping their fingers crossed on the outcome.

For example, in Nellore Rural, it appeared that the situation is favourable for TDP as party nominee Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy edge compared to YSRCP candidate Adala Prabhakara Reddy. But just before 15 days before polling, the fight turned fierce resulting in TDP going into defencive mode in the last stage. Interestingly, sources say 70 per cent of total registered postal votes of 4,471 were polled, which TDP is hoping augurs well for it and ensure hattrick for Sridhar Reddy.

Similar situation was witnessed in Atmakuru Assembly constituency as the victory appeared a cakewalk for YSRCP’s candidate Mekapati Vikram Reddy.

But the situation changed suddenly with developments like TDP preventing around 4,000 to 5,000 bogus votes, allegedly engineered by YSRCP at 10 booths in Marripadu mandal said to have turned the wind in favour of TDP nominee Anam Ramanarayana Reddy. In the constituency, 80 per cent polling was registered in 2,611 postal votes raised TDP’s hopes as party believes they will tilt the scales in its favour.

Similarly, there is a possibility of TDP nominee Pasim Sunil Kumar in Guduru involved in tough fight with YSRCP candidate Meriga Muralidhar sailing through with the help of postal votes. Here internal differences among YSRCP leaders are also expected to contribute to his victory.

There were several instances in the past when candidates on the verge of defeat scraping through only because of postal

ballots.

In 2009, Anam Vivekananda Reddy who was Congress candidate won with a majority of just 3,131 votes after a nail-biting contest against Praja Rajyam Party nominee Anam Venkataramana Reddy.

In that elections, Vivekananda Reddy got 46,941 votes while Venkataramana Reddy secured 43,810 votes. Of the 3,131 majority, 3,000 were the postal ballots.

In 2019 elections, TDP nominee Ponguru Narayana lost the election a margin of just 2,988 votes in the hands of YSRCP nominee Poluboyina Anilakumar Yadav. In these elections, P Narayana received 71,052 votes while Anilkumar Yadav secured 74, 040 votes. Almost all the government employees cast their votes in favour of YSRCP.

In 2024, it is reportedly said to have 95 per cent of government employees exercised their franchise in favour of TDP in Nellore, which is expected to influence results in most of the 10 Assembly constituencies in the district.

Constituency wise postal ballot votes polled are Nellore City-2,798, Atmakuru-2,611, Sarvepalli-1,397, Udayagiri-2,493, Kavali-3,335, Nellore Rural-4,741, Kovuru-2,838 and Kandukuru-1,908.