Sullurpet constituency: Nallapureddy, Nedurumalli clans hold the sway

Nellore: The Sullurpet SC constituency has five mandals of Sullurpet, Naidupet, Ozili, Doravari Satram and Tadamandals. This constituency has a unique feature. SC community had occupied higher positions like ministers, MPs and zilla parishad chairmen. Except for Pasupuleti Sidhaiah Naidu (OC) in 1962, it was SCs who had won from here.

One Pasupuleti Sidhaiah Naidu is the first MLA from Congress Party who got elected from this constituency in 1962 elections. it was allotted to SCs in 1967.

Congress represented this constituency six times. Posupuleti Sidhaiah Naidu in 1962, Pitla Venkata Subbaiah in 1967, 1972, 1978, Pasala Penchaiah in 1989, Nevala Subrahmanyam in 2004, while TDP won five times i.e. Pathi Prakasam in 1983, Madanambeti Muneiah in 1985, Parasa Venkataratnaiah in 1994, 1999 and 2009.

YSR Congress Party won twice in 2014 and 2019 elections. In the past, Sullurpet area was merged with Kota and Vakadu mandals located in coastal belt of Gudur constituency. India's prestigious space agency Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) is located in Sullurpet constituency.

There are a total of 2,31,638 voters in this constituency as of 2019 elections. The voter turnout registered was 60 to 70 per cent, comparatively lower than other constituencies in the district for various reasons, including social factors. Nallapureddy (Kota mandal) and Nedurumalli (Vakadu mandal) clans were dominant for several decades and another major group are liquor barons Venati Muni Reddy who hold the key to the success of any party in the constituency.

Pasala Penchalaiah, a close aide of Nedurumalli family, was elected from here and became minister for information and public relations during N Janardhan Reddy government in 1989.

Parasa Venkata Ratnaiah became the education minister during the government of N Chandrababu Naidu in 1999.

Fishermen community also plays crucial role in deciding the fate of politicians in Sullurpet but they did are not much interested in politics for various reasons. The community is under BC-A category and concentrating more in earning good money in fisheries business in Pulicat Lake instead of trying luck in politics.

One interesting feature of this constituency is that the candidates here need not to take the risk either financially or canvasing as they can easily win the election if their community and village leader ‘Pedda Kapu’ assures them.

If the voters fail to abide by the decision of the village elder, they have to face punishment called ‘Durayee', a social boycott.