3 castes hold sway in Parvathipuram

Vizianagaram: Parvathipuram Assembly constituency (SC) reserved will be witnessing an interesting fight between the ruling YSRCP and the TDP, which are equally strong. The candidate whom Koppala Velama, Kapu and Vysya voters would support will be the ultimate winner. Hence, leaders of two parties always try to win over these sections with different promises.

But still the problems like basic infrastructure, roads, drainage, drinking water and unemployment continue to plague the constituency.

The ruling YSRCP is most likely to field the sitting MLA A Jogarao who is politically and financially strong. Hence TDP has decided to field Vijayachandra, a new face in place of the B Chiranjeevulu who lost to Jogarao in 2019.

TDP surveys and reports have indicated that Chiranjeevulu cannot take on Jogarao but Vijayachandra who is a new face and is also socially and financially strong candidate can be a real competitor to Jogarao and TDP can recapture the constituency in 2024.

If one takes a look at the past, Vyricherla Durgaprasad Veerabhadra Deo Bahadur was the first MLA who had won from here in1952 from Indian National Congress. The constituency was represented by Congress in 1962, 1999, 2004 and 2009.

The TDP also had won the seat for five times. Marisarla Venkatarami Naidu in 1983 and 1985 and later Yarra Krishna Murthy Naidu had won twice in 1989, 1994 and in 2014. Bobbili Chiranjeevulu had won from TDP in 2014 but lost in 2019.

The constituency has a total of 1,82,333 electors as of 2019. This time an additional aspect for this constituency is that Parvathipuram had become district headquarters and the status of the constituency was upgraded when compared to the previous elections though it had not brought any solution to civic problems which stare in the face of the people of the constituency.