Waiting for victory: TDP, YSRCP candidates in Andhra fight for debut wins

Vijayawada: Despite consistently losing the elections, there are a few leaders in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) who are hoping to secure their maiden victory in the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Parliament elections.

After the emergence of the TDP, Assembly elections were held nine times from 1983 to 2019 in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and the bifurcated state. Over the four decades, the TDP won five elections and came to power. The TDP is going to face its 10th Assembly elections in 2024.

However, the party has yet to make roads in a few constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and those seats, the TDP leaders have never once triumphed. One among them was Somireddy Chandra Mohan Reddy from the Sarvepalli Assembly constituency in the Nellore district. Somireddy began his political career with the TDP in 1992.

Somireddy in electoral battle from Sarvepalli after four defeats

Somireddy was elected as an MLA twice in the 1994 and 1999 Assembly elections. From 1996 to 1999, he was appointed as the minister of Youth Services and Sports under the maiden Cabinet of TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu. In 2001 once again he was appointed as the minister for Information and Broadcasting in the second Cabinet of Naidu. From 2004 to 2019, he was defeated four times in Sarvepalli.

In 2015, Somireddy was nominated as an MLC and served as the minister for Agriculture from 2017 to 2019 under the third Cabinet of Naidu. In the upcoming elections, Somireddy is going to take on his arch-rival Kakani Govardhan Reddy from the YSRCP for the third time in Sarvepalli. Kakani Govardhan Reddy defeated Somireddy twice in the 2014 and 2019 elections.

Kishore Kumar Reddy desperate to win from Pileru

After Somireddy, Nallari Kishore Kumar Reddy, another TDP leader, is also desperate to register his maiden victory in the Pileru Assembly constituency. He is the younger brother of the former chief minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Upon his brother’s advice, Kishore Kumar Reddy entered politics and contested for the Jai Samaikyandhra Party (JSP) in the 2014 Pileru Assembly elections. In 2017, Kishore Kumar Reddy joined the TDP and contested as an MLA for the second time in 2019.

However, Kishore Kumar Reddy was defeated by the YSRCP candidate Chintala Ramachandra Reddy twice in 2014 and 2019. In the ensuing elections, Kishore Kumar Reddy is contesting as an MLA on behalf of the TDP for the second time.

Former TTD chairman Putta banks on anti-incumbency factor

Another TDP leader Putta Sudhakar Yadav from Mydukur in Kadapa district is contesting from the same constituency for a third consecutive term. He also served as the chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). Sudhakar Yadav began his political career with the TDP in 2012.

In the 2014 and 2019 Assembly elections, he contested as an MLA from Mydukur and was defeated by YSRCP candidate Settipalle Raghunadh Reddy. In the 2024 elections, he focused on the alleged irregularities of Raghunadh Reddy including illegal occupation of government lands in the constituency.

Similar to certain Assembly constituencies in the state where the TDP leaders have never won a single election, there are also leaders from the YSRCP who have yet to win. The YSRCP contested for the first time in 2012 by-elections in 17 seats in the erstwhile AP and won 15. Later in 2014, it won 67 seats in the bifurcated AP. In the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, the YSRCP won 151 of the 175 seats in the state.

YSRCP yet to win Tekkali Assembly

After the formation of the YSRCP in 2012, it did not open its account in the Tekkali Assembly constituency.

Duvvada Srinivas contested as an MLA from Tekkali in 2009 and 2014. He began his political career with the Congress party in 2001. In 2009, Srinivas contested as an MLA for the first time from Tekkali on behalf of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP). He secured the third position in the elections.

Later, Srinivas joined the YSRCP and contested as an MLA for the second time in the 2014 Assembly elections. He was defeated by TDP leader K Atchannaidu. In 2019, Srinivas contested as an MP from Srikakulam Lok Sabha seat and was defeated by TDP leader K Rammohan Naidu. In the upcoming elections, he is once again contesting as an MLA from Tekkali and will fight against Atchannaidu for the third time.

Sunil switched loyalties but never won as an MP

Chalamalasetty Sunil began his political career with the PRP in 2009 and was defeated in the Parliament elections. He joined the YSRCP and contested as an MP for the second time on behalf of the party from the Kakinada Lok Sabha seat. Sunil was defeated by TDP candidate Thota Narasimham.

Before the 2019 elections, he switched his loyalties to the TDP from the YSRCP in search of victory. However, fortune had something else for Sunil. He was defeated by YSRCP candidate Vanga Geetha in the 2019 elections. Sunil rejoined the YSRCP and contesting now as an MP for Kakinada for the fourth time in the 2024 elections.