Bheemunipatnam gave many ministers

Visakhapatnam: Several candidates elected as MLAs here also had an opportunity to serve as ministers. But Bheemunipatnam is generally known as TDP’s bastion as R S D P A N Raju won four times consecutively in the constituency.

Bheemunipatnam constituency is one of the oldest constituencies in Visakhapatnam district. It has historical and Buddhist sites, including Hawa Mahal, Dutch Cemetery, lighthouse, Bojjannakonda and Bavikonda. The ancient Simhachalam temple is located in the constituency.

In addition, the CMO building and other government departments were proposed by the YSRCP government in Bheemunipatnam constituency as Visakhapatnam is all to be developed as the executive capital.

Currently, the constituency is a hub for flowers and vegetables. The market at Anandapuram is the largest flower market in north Andhra region. Similarly, at Anandapuram and Padmanabham mandals, a large extent of land is used for agricultural purposes.

Bheemunipatnam was named after Bhima, one of the Pandavas in the epic Mahabharata. Formerly administered under the Bheemunipatnam Municipality, it was later merged with Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation in 2017.

So far, 13 candidates have served as MLAs in the seat. K Suryanarayana from Congress was elected as an MLA in the constituency in 1951. Later, Gottumukkala Jagannadha Raju from Congress won in 1955. Raja Sagi Soma Sundara Suryanarayana Raju from the same party got elected in 1972 and Datla Jagannadha Raju in 1978 from the Congress.

Poosapati Ananda Gajapathi Raju emerged victorious in 1983, TDP candidate Raja Sagi Devi Prasanna Appala Narasimha Raju (RSDPAN Raju) won in 1985, 1989, 1994 and 1999 as an MLA consecutively.

In 2004, Karri Sitaram from Congress won with the lowest majority of 241 votes.

In 2009 Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao won from Praja Rajyam Party. In 2014 Ganta Srinivasa Rao from TDP and in 2019 Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao from the YSRCP won again in the polls.

Currently, Bheemili, Anandapuram, Padmanabham and a part of Visakhapatnam rural mandals fall under the constituency’s purview.

In 2009, Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao won the seat on Praja Rajyam Party ticket. His opponents were Anjaneya Raju from TDP, Uma Rani from Congress. However, Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao won with a majority of 6,310 votes as an MLA for the first time.

Ganta Srinivasa Rao from TDP won against Karri Sitaram from the YSRCP with a majority of 37,226 votes in 2014. Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao from the YSRCP, Sabbam Hari from the TDP and Panchakarla Sandeep from the JSP contested as major candidates. However, Srinivasa Rao won with a majority of 9,712 votes.

Three MLAs who won in the constituency served as ministers. Pusapati Ananda Gajapathi Raju won from this constituency and took charge as the minister of education.

Appala Narasimha Raju, won from the TDP ticket from the seat, also got an opportunity to work as excise minister. In the YSRCP government, Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao extended his services as tourism minister.

Another notable factor is that Ganta Srinivasa Rao who served as education minister earlier served as MLA in Bheemunipatnam constituency.

Once the exercise of decentralisation takes place, Bheemunipatnam constituency is going to assume larger significance in the state.