Will not be a cakewalk for TDP in Kovur

Nellore: Kovur Assembly constituency, which is having equal strength of both Congress and Telugu Desam parties, now becomes battlefield for sitting legislator Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy and N Prasanna Kumar Reddy (YSRCP), son and political heir of Nallapureddy Srinivasulu Reddy.

YSR Congress candidate N Prasanna Kumar Reddy had won thrice from the constituency and also by-polls in 2012. Winning from the constituency for ruling party will not be a cake walk as majority during 2014 polls was only around 8,000.

Kovur is a place for stalwarts in the politics like Nallapureddy Srinivasulu Reddy who played crucial role in the formation of Telugu Desam party. Rebala Dasaratharami Reddy, V Venkureddy, Pellakuru Ramachandra Reddy, politically defeated Jakka Venkaiah, Jakka Kodandarami Reddy and many others are from this constituency.

The constituency is also once famous for senior leaders like Bezawada Gopala Reddy, Puchalapalli Sundaraiah, Bezawada Ramchandra Reddy, Bezawada Papireddy, and others who had elevated as state leaders. Top leader in TDP Nallapureddy Srinivasulu Reddy won thrice from the constituency in 1983, 1985 and 1989 polls.

Sitting MLA Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy has won from the constituency twice in 2004 and 2014 elections. But, due to political developments, there has been huge competition for the ticket this time. Senior leader Pellakuru Srinivasulu Reddy tried his best for the ticket, but failed to get it. He quit the party and the party chief Chandrababu Naidu called him and offered MLA post appointing him as in-charge of Parliamentary constituency. Now, both groups are working hand in hand.

Candidate from the YSR Congress party Nallapureddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy is also having strong relations in the constituency and has been focusing on various issues of the constituency for facing his counterpart. Candidates of the Congress party won the polls from 1962 to 1978 and Nallapureddy Srinivasulu Reddy bagged the seat in the wave of TDP in 1983 polls.

He won the polls in 1985, 1989 and Prasanna Kumar won the polls in 1994 and 1999 elections from the TDP. In 2004, Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy contested from the Congress and got elected. He was in the political battleground from the TDP in 2014 and won the polls. The TDP continued him this time too declaring as the candidate.