Who will vie for famous denim hub ?

Rayadurgamam(Anantapur): Founded in 1951, the constituency was mostly represented by the Congress Party in 1955, 1962, 1972, 1978, 1985, 1989 and in 2009.

Since the advent of the TDP in 1983, the party MLAs won in 1994, 2004 and 2014. In 1967, the Swathantra Party won in Rayadurgam. In 1983, Patel Venugopala Reddy won as an Independent. In 2009, Kapu Ramachandra Reddy who was the Congress MLA resigned as an MLA and sailed with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy when the latter quit the Congress to launch the YSRCP.

TDP politburo member and ex-minister Kalava Srinivasulu represented Rayadurgam constituency in 2014 and served as Information and Public Relations minister. He contested again in 2019 and lost to YSRCP MLA Kapu Ramachandra Reddy.

The TDP is likely to renominate Kalava Srinivasulu from Rayadurgam while there are rumours that Kapu Ramachandra Reddy of the ruling party may not be renominated in the ensuring polls. Ex-TDP MLA Mettu Govinda Reddy who had shifted his loyalty to the YSRCP is likely to be the YSRCP candidate in 2024 elections.

Rayadurgam is traditionally a weavers’ town and is famous for jean pants and shorts industry. The jeans manufactured here are exported to other States and foreign countries. They have a considerable population of weavers.

When Kalava Srinivasulu was a TDP minister, he tried to establish common facility centres and weavers clusters. He partially succeeded though a lot remains to be done in terms of government patronage through the handlooms and textiles ministry. Textile parks too were proposed but no measures were taken to develop textile industry in the constituency. The incumbent MLA also did not focus on this issue.

The constituency with a population of 2.49 lakh voters is spread in D Hirehal, Rayadurgam, Kanekal, Bommanahal and Gummagatta mandals. A clearer political picture would emerge by the end of the month as the TDP and the YSRCP parties are engaged in the exercise of finalising candidates.