T Sowmya of TDP locks horns with M Jaganmohana Rao of YSRCP

Vijayawada: Nandigama Assembly constituency, which is a bastion for the TDP for over three decades, is now fighting to regain its seat in the 2019 Assembly elections. The sitting MLA Tangirala Sowmya, who won in 2014 by elections, has locked horns with the YSRCP candidate M Jaganmohana Rao. The two leaders are canvassing with their supporters and cadres.

Nandigama is an important constituency for the Telugu Desam party since its inception. Minister for Water Resources Devineni Umamaheswara Rao was elected from Nandigama two times in 1999 and 2004. His brother Devineni Venkata Ramana won from Nandigama in 1994. Before that the TDP leader and former Home Minister Vasanta Nageswara Rao was elected from the same constituency in 1983 and 1985.

In 2009 and 2014, the TDP candidates Tangirala Prabhakara Rao and his daughter Tangirala Sowmya were elected from the segment. By election was conducted after the death of Prabhakar.

Now, the TDP is fighting to regain the seat as the Opposition YSRCP candidate M Jaganmohan Rao has been canvassing vigorously in the constituency for a long time. The YSRCP has confirmed the ticket for Jaganmohana Rao long ago.

Till 2004, Nandigama segment was in general category. It was reserved for the SCs in 2009. Tangirala Prabhakar (SC) was elected by defeating V Parameswara Rao of Congress. Unfortunately, he died due to cardiac arrest and the ticket was given to his daughter Sowmya in the by election. She won with majority of more than 74,000 votes in the 2014 elections.

SC voters, Kamma voters, Backward classes and Muslims are in sizeable numbers in the constituency. Congress party has won only three times since 1955 – in 1967, 1972 and 1989. Four mandals Nandigama, Kanchikacharla, Chandarlapadu and Veerulapadu are under the Nandigama assembly constituency.

The total electorate in the constituency are 1,93,712. Men voters are 95,279, women voters are 98,426 and third gender voters are seven. With less than two weeks are left for the polling, both candidates have intensified the campaign and visiting the villages with their followers and cadre and urging the people to vote for them.