Three political novices to vie for honours

Amalapuram: Three political novices are going to fight one another in Amalapuram (SC) Parliamentary constituency this elections. Ganti Harish Madhur, son of former Lok Sabha Speaker GMC Balayogi, will be TDP contenstant while Chintha Anuradha, wife of Income Tax commissioner T S N Murthy of Vizag will be in fray from YSRCP and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Rajamahendravaram Asset former executive director D M R Sekhar will be contesting as Jana Sena Party (JSP) candidate.

The triangular fight is creating excitement in this as all the three parties are confident that have majority support in Konaseema area and also are depending on the charisma of their respective party presidents.

TDP high command first decided to field Ganti Harish Madhur from Amalapuram Assembly constituency as it felt that he did not have enough experience in politics. But, after several rounds of discussions, the party high command finally picked him up for the Lok Sabha seat.

According to party sources, a senior leader of the party opposed the ticket to Madhur on the grounds that he would be found lacking on financial resources, Chandrababu Naidu brushed of the objections and went ahead in fielding him.

TDP is of the view that former Lok Sabha Speaker Balayogi's name would help Harish to win the elections and also developmental activities carried out in the constituency and charisma of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu would come to his rescue.

YSRCP candidate Chintha Anuradha has some political background as her father Chintha Krishnamurthy contested unsuccessfully on Praja Rajyam Party ticket from Amalapuram in 2009. She is hoping that party chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's popularity will make her a winner.

JSP candidate D M R Sekhar plunged into politics with a confidence that his services rendered in Konaseema area under corporate social responsibility while in ONGC will help him to get votes. He is also thinking that party president Pawan Kalyan's glamour and his policies will benefit him.

So far, elections were held 15 times to the constituency in which Congress won the seat eight times, TDP six times and Congress (I) once. Congress candidate B S Murthy won in 1962, 1967 and 1971 elections and Kusuma Krishna Murthy own in 1977 and 1980 polls.

In 1984 election, TDP candidate A J V B Maheswara Rao, in 1989 election Congress candidate Kusuma Krishnamurthy, in 1991 election GMC Balayogi, in 1996 KSR Murthy, in 1998 and 1999 elections GMC Balayogi, in 2002 election Ganti Vijaya Kumari, in 2004 and 2009 elections Congress candidate GV Harsha Kumar and in 2014 election TDP candidate Pandula Ravindrababu were elected from the constituency. The voters gave a clear cut majority to the candidates in every election.