Aiming for Hat-trick: YS Avinash Reddy, Nandamuri Balakrishna aim to extend victory run

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh is going for mega elections this year with an interesting fight between YSRCP, TDP-JSP-BJP alliance and Congress. While some leaders have switched parties just before the elections and were given a seat, the state has around 10 well-known leaders including MLAs and MPs aiming for a hattrick amid tough competition.

1. Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu

TDP Srikakulam MP candidate Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu eyes on winning for the third time in the Lok Sabha polls 2024. He has won from the Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency for two consecutive times.

His opposition for the 2024 polls is YSRCP MP candidate Perada Tilak.

Known to be the second youngest Member of Parliament to the 16th Lok Sabha, Kinjarupu entered politics in 2012 after the death of his father Kinjarapu Yeram Naidu.

He introduced a private members bill to draw the attention of the Centre towards Andhra Pradesh Railway Zone with Vishakhapatnam as its headquarters. With a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University, United States and an MBA from Long Island University, he is always known to be the MP candidate to pose questions to the Opposition and took part in many debates in the House.

2. Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy

Two-time YSRCP MP from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency and chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s cousin Avinash Reddy is contesting for the third consecutive time. This time he will be getting a tough fight from his cousin YS Sharmila contesting on a Congress ticket.

It is quite a tough election for Avinash Reddy this time as he is facing allegations of killing YS Vivekananda Reddy. While the case is still pending, both cousins YS Sharmila and YS Suneetha Reddy are fighting for justice for Viveka. On many occasions, they have raised allegations of how Jagan has been backing up Avinash in the murder case.

3. MP Keseneni Nani

YSRCP Vijayawada candidate Kesineni Nani is contesting against his brother Kesineni Chinni from the TDP. Kesineni Nani won as an MP from Vijayawada in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections on behalf of the TDP.

In January, Nani switched sides to the YSRCP and his brother Chinni was given a chance to contest from Vijayawada in the ensuing elections. A dispute between the two brothers who are also into business has escalated political tensions in Vijayawada, considered the political capital of Andhra Pradesh.

4. Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar

YSRCP Visakhapatnam South MLA candidate Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar is fighting his opposition CH Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav from JSP.

Visakhapatnam South is one of the four prime Assembly constituencies in Visakhapatnam. During a recent meeting, Jagan asked Vasupalli and candidates from the other three constituencies to aim for winning all four constituencies.

Vasupalli, a leader from the fishing community, has a good vote bank from the community.

5. RK Roja

Actor-turned politician, Nagari MLA candidate RK Roja is aiming for a hattrick locking horns with Gali Bhanu Prakash from the TDP.

Roja lost her elections when she was with the TDP and shifted to Congress during the reign of Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy as the chief minister of the state. When Jagan started YSRCP, she switched loyalties and got her electoral victory from Nagari in 2014 and 2019.

Former TDP minister Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu’s son Bhanu Prakash who was defeated in 2019 by Roja is now taking up swift campaigning, giving a tough fight for Roja.

6. Nandamuri Balakrishna

Actor-turned-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna is contesting from the TDP in the Hindupur Assembly constituency, eyeing to become an MLA for the third consecutive time. Balakrishna also stayed away from his film shootings aiming at the hattrick.

The son of former chief minister, NT Rama Rao was always banked with a fan base.

Hindupur, in Anantapur district, has been a stronghold for TDP since 1983. It was once represented by his father and later for a term by his elder brother, Nandamuri Harikrishna. Balakrishna campaigned for every election for Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu but did not enter the electoral battle until 2014.

He is the third member of the family to represent it in the State Assembly.

This elections, YSRCP is fielding TN Deepika in Hindupur, focusing on caste backgrounds to increase the party’s prospects of winning elections by strengthening support from these communities.

Deepika hails from the BC community and is the wife of YSRCP leader Venugopal Reddy. To secure the seat and end hattrick chances for Balakrishna, the YSRCP has appointed party senior leader and minister Pedireddy Ramachandra Reddy as regional coordinator for the constituency.

7. Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao

Bheemunipatnam YSRCP MLA candidate Avanthi Srinivas (Muttamsetti Srinivasa) is contesting against TDPs Ganta Srinivasa Rao.

Interestingly, in their two-decade political career, both leaders have never lost an election.

He won as Bheemunipatnam MLA twice in 2009 from the Praja Rajyam Party and from the YSRCP in 2019. Before joining YSRCP, he won the Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat on behalf of the TDP in 2024.

Both leaders coming from the Kapu community have a strong hold in the constituency.

8. Kethireddy

Dharmavaram YSRCP MLA Kethireddy Venkatrami Reddy is targeting a hattrick against his opposition Y Satya Kumar from BJP.

Kethireddy, coming from a faction-backed political family, first won in 2009 on a Congress party ticket by defeating rival Gonuguntla Suryanarayana. His second electoral victory was in the 2019 elections on a YSRCP ticket.

One of the advantages for Kethireddy is his style of interacting with the people in his constituency with a program called 'Good Morning Dharmavaram’, where he visits localities and talks to people in the morning. His videos on ward visits are extensively promoted on his social media pages, especially YouTube.

9. Buganna Rajendranath

Dhone YSRCP MLA Buggana Rajendranath will have a tough fight with TDP’s Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy.

The constituency gained prominence after Neelam Sanjiva Reddy contested the 1962 elections on a Congress ticket and served as the first chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and the sixth president of India from 1977 to 1982.

This constituency will witness an interesting fight as Jaysurya Prakash Reddy is the son of Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy of AP, a chief minister for two terms.

In 2004, Surya Prakash’s wife, Kotla Sujathamma won. While Surya Prakash was interested in contesting for Lok Sabha from Kurnool, the TDP gave him an MLA ticket.

10. Kinjarapu Atchen Naidu

TDP Tekkali MLA candidate Kinjarapu Atchen Naidu will go for a triangular fight with YSRCP’s Duvvada Srinivas and Killi Krupa Rani from the Congress. She has recently shifted from the YSRCP.

This constituency is majorly banked with TDP winning eight times till now. In 1994, NT Rama Rao won from Tekkali. It is pertinent to note that Kinjarapu’s family has a stronghold in Tekkali and erstwhile Harishchandrapuram segment.

Chandrababu Naidu, firmly believing that Atchen Naidu has a strong vote bank, told him to strive hard for victory.