Nellore: Newbies to play tug-of-war in 2024 elections

Nellore : Udayagiri constituency is set to witness tug of war between freshers in the coming elections. YSRCP has fielded Mekapati Rajagopala Reddy, an engineering graduate from Mekapati family, while TDP fielded Kakarla Suresh, founder-president of Udayagiri-based Kakarla Charitable Trust by replacing sitting MLA Bollineni Venkata Ramarao.

Mekapati Rajagopala Reddy, from Reddy community, is a contractor -cum-politician. Kakarla Suresh is an engineering graduate and son of Kakarla Venkatasubba Naidu, who is village development officer in Udayagiri constituency.

After completing BTech, Kakarla Suresh worked as a software engineer in America and was Team Square Department Chairman for Telugu Association of North America (TANA) for some time.

Later he returned to India and established Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Kakarla Charitable Trust. Unlike Rajagopala Reddy, he has no political background and is a total novice.

This constituency has been a stronghold for Congress. Since 1983, after it was formed TDP had won the seat only thrice against Congress and once against YSRCP.

Though Kamma community dominates all eight mandals - Jaladanki, Seetharamapuram, Udayagiri, Varikuntapadu, Vinjamuru, Duthalutu, Kaligiri and Kondapuram - except in 1978, 1985, 1989 and 2014, it was Reddy community, who has been getting elected from here. In 2024 elections also, war appears to be between Reddy and Kamma communities.