TDP hopes to regain past glory by winning Nellore MP seat

Nellore: Speculations are rife that the YSRCP may change Nellore MP candidate V Vijayasai Reddy at the eleventh hour. The party had announced his name recently, but the ground reports indicate that in the wake of fast changing political equations, it may prove to be an uphill task for the ruling party.

Soon after the announcement, the rank and file of TDP went into jubilant mood claiming that their party candidate’s victory will become easy now. TDP had won from this constituency twice since its formation. In 1983, Putchalapalli Penchalaiah had won in 1984 and Vukkala Rajeswaramma won in 1999. Later, it became SC reserved constituency, but TDP could not win and it had left the seat to CPI (M) as part of electoral alliance in 1996 and later in 2004 for BJP.

After Nellore MP seat was made general in 2009, TDP used to be in the fray without alliance with any party though it never won. However, since the margin with which TDP has been losing has been minimum, it keeps on trying to regain the lost ground.

In 2009 elections, TDP nominee Venteru Venugopala Reddy was defeated by Congress candidate Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy with a margin of 54,993 votes.

In 2012 by-elections, TDP candidate Venteru Venugopala Reddy lost the election with a huge margin of votes to Congress candidate Tikkavarapu Subbarami Reddy. In 2014 elections, TDP nominee Adala Prabhakar Reddy was defeated by YSRCP candidate Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy by a margin of 13,478 votes.

In 2019, TDP candidate Beeda Masthan Rao lost to YSRCP nominee Adala Prabhakar Reddy with the margin of 1,48, 571 votes.

TDP feels now political equations are entirely different as compared to 2012, 2014 and 2019 elections as there was severe incumbency coupled with migration of Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy to TDP. This time the party is feeling that it has an edge over Nellore city, Nellore rural, Udayagiri, Kavali and Kandukuru in its favor and might secure victory against YSRCP in 2024 elections.