Penamaluru, the last hope for Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao

Vijayawada : Suspense continues over TDP candidate in Penamaluru Assembly constituency in Krishna district. Local TDP leader and former MLA Bode Prasad is in the race for the seat for a long time. Suddenly, former minister and three-time MLA Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao’s name is making rounds that he may contest from the Penamaluru constituency. Both belong to Kamma caste. Bode Prasad won from Penamaluru in 2014 and he lost to YSRCP candidate Kolusu Parthasarathy in 2019.

Bode Prasad says he is the strong contender and would win the elections and is vigorously lobbying to get the ticket. Now, TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance is contesting the polls. YSRCP MLA Kolusu Parthasarathy quit the party and joined the TDP recently. He is contesting from Nuzvid constituency.

Penamaluru is the stronghold for the Kamma voters and leaders. Backward classes, Kapu and Dalit voters are also in a sizeable number in Penamaluru. YSRCP is fielding housing minister Jogi Ramesh from Penamaluru for the 2024 elections. He was elected from Pedana constituency of Krishna district two times previously and has been shifted here.

The ruling party, as part of the social engineering and winning prospects, fielded the BC leader Jogi Ramesh who belongs to Gowda caste here.

Penamaluru is the last hope for former minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao as the party has already allotted Mylavaram to Vasantha Krishna Prasad, the sitting MLA of YSRCP who recently joined TDP. Uma had won previously from Nandigama and Mylavaram. Uma is feeling anxious on allotment of ticket and contesting the polls.

TDP earlier conducted telephone surveys on winning prospects of Bode Prasad and Devineni Uma in Penamaluru. But the party has not officially announced any candidate.

Penamaluru constituency was formed in 2009 delimitation and candidates from three parties won the elections. In 2009, Congress leader Kolusu Parthasarathy was elected and TDP candidate Bode Prasad was elected in 2014. The YSRCP candidate Parthasarathy was elected in 2019. Now, the fight will be between the YSRCP and TDP-Jana Sena- BJP alliance.