Machilipatnam LS constituency: Sitting MP Balashouri to contest on behalf of JSP

VIJAYAWADA: Machilipatnam sitting MP Vallabhaneni Balashouri will contest on behalf of the Jana Sena in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Balashouri has won from the same Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency on behalf of the YSRCP in 2019. As part of the three parties TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance, the Jana Sena will contest from Machilipatnam and the party officially announced the candidature of Balashouri.

Vallabhaneni Balashouri was earlier elected from Tenali Lok Sabha constituency when he was in Congress party.

He is a senior politician and was also elected from Machilipatnam in 2019. Earlier, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan had assured Balashouri that he would be fielded from Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency. Pawan kept his promise and Jana Sena Party announced the candidature of Balashouri after holding talks with senior political leaders in New Delhi for three days.

Machilipatnam constituency is the stronghold for the Kapu leaders of all parties.

Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency has Assembly constituencies of Machilipatnam, Avanigadda, Pamarru, Penamaluru, Gannavaram, Pedana and Gudivada.

The YSRCP candidates won from six Assembly constituencies in 2019. TDP candidate Vallabhaneni Vamsi won from Gannavaram but he too later shifted his loyalty to the YSRCP.

The YSRCP has fielded Dr Simhadri Chandrasekhar for the Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency for the ensuing polls. He is a noted doctor in Diviseema region.

The YSRCP has earlier announced the name of Simhadri Chandrasekhar for Avanigadda Assembly constituency and later changed its decision and decided to field Simhadri Chandrasekhar for Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency.

Both Kapu leaders will battle it out to win the contest in Machilipatnam. Eastern Krishna district has a very large population of Kapu, Yadava, Gouda, fishermen and other BC castes. Muslim and Christian population is also in sizeable number.

Balashouri had differences with the local MLA and former minister Perni Nani in Machilipatnam. Though both belong to same Kapu caste, they had differences on local issues. Machilipatnam YSRCP was divided into two groups - MP group and former Minister Perni Nani group. Finally, Balashouri decided to quit and joined the Jana Sena.

On the other hand, Perni Nani had decided not to contest the polls in 2024 and requested the party leadership to field his son Perni Krishna Murthy alias Kittu from Machilipatnam Assembly constituency. Consequently, Perni Kittu is contesting from Machilipatnam Assembly constituency.