Exciting fight likely between TDP, YSRCP

Vijayawada: Kaikaluru Assembly constituency is going to face an exciting context between the TDP and YSRCP as both leaders have good reputation and they have been maintaining cordial relations with the constituency people for a long time.

Between the two, one is a former MLA and the other is contesting for the first time. Both leaders are determined to win the poll battle at any cost and have the blessings of top leaders in the party.

Former MLA and TDP leader Jayamangala Venkata Ramana who was elected in 2009 from Kaikalur is the TDP candidate. The YSRCP has chosen Dulam Nageswara Rao, who could not get ticket in the 2014 Assembly elections.

In 2014, BJP candidate Dr Kamineni Srinivas had contested from the seat as part of his party's alliance with the TDP, won the seat defeating Uppada Ram Prasad of YSRCP by a margin of over 22,000 votes. Following the breakup of alliance between the BJP and TDP, the two parties are fielding candidates separately.

Now, the main fight will be between TDP and YSRCP. The constituency is spread over four mandals Kaikalur, Mudinepalli, Mandavalli and Kalidindi. SC, BC and Kapu voters are in sizeable number and will decide the winners in the Kaikalur constituency. The main focus in the constituency is on Kolleru Lake and aqua cultivation as it is the main source of livelihood to thousands of families.

Total number of voters in Kaikalur Assembly constituency is 2,51,315. Among them men voters are 1,24,677 and women voters are 1,26,638. The number of voters may go up when the final list gets ready by March 25 or 26.

The district administration received about 1.55 lakh applications for enrolment of names in the voters list. Kaikalur had been a bastion for the Congress party between 1952 and 1993. Kanumuri Bapiraju was the most popular leader elected from the constituency in 1978, 1983, 1985 and 1989.

Another popular leader elected from the constituency is Yerneni Ramachandar. He was elected to Assembly from Kaikalur as TDP candidate in 1993, as a independent in 1999 and as a Congress candidate in 2004.

Jayamangala Venkata Ramana won the election in 2009. He could not contest in 2014 elections because the BJP has fielded its candidate Dr Kamineni Srinivas as part of sharing the seats.

The TDP broke the Congress victory march in the constituency in 1993 when Y Ramachandar won the polls in the byelections. He defeated N Venkata Ramaraju of Congress. Again the TDP won in 2009 when Jayamangala Ramana was elected.

Now, again Venkata Ramana who hails from Vaddera caste, has been vigorously trying to win the polls and enter the Assembly. He maintains good relations with the people of the constituency.

His rival D Nageswara Rao, a Kapu leader, too has been meeting the people in the constituency for many months and he also is hopeful of winning the contest. SCs, Dalits, Kapus, Yadavas, Gowdas and Vaddera caste voters are in sizeable number in the constituency.