Gannavaram Assembly: TDP, YSRCP dissidents jump ship, now face off in AP polls

Vijayawada: In the upcoming State Assembly elections, the opposition Telugu Desam Party is desperate to hold onto the Gannavaram constituency for a third time, but the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is anxious to win the seat.

Incumbent MLA joined the YSRCP

Following his expulsion from the party, incumbent TDP dissident MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi Mohan is contesting as an MLA for the third time from Gannavaram in the upcoming elections on a YSRCP ticket. Yarlagadda Venkata Rao who contested on the YSRCP ticket in the 2019 elections is now contesting for the second time from the constituency, this time on a TDP ticket.

A fierce election is anticipated between businessman-turned-politician Yarlagadda Venkata Rao and two-time MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi Mohan, who is attempting a hat-trick in Gannavaram. This is because the leaders switched their allegiance to other parties after contesting the 2019 Assembly elections.

Public talk on candidates and parties

‘Yarlagadda has a vision for Gannavaram development’

Like TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, TDP MLA candidate Yarlagadda Venkata Rao has an agenda for Gannavaram’s development, according to V Tarun, a graduate and Gannavaram resident who spoke with NewsMeter.

The constituency is falling behind in all areas, including infrastructure development and roadways. In order to get out of the crisis, Venkata Rao has come up with a vision for the constituency’s overall development which he brought to the Krishna District Cooperative Central Bank (KDCC) while he served as the chairman, Tarun said.

“The unemployed youth are facing a tough time in the state due to delay in the announcement of the mega DSC schedule and job calendar by the YSRCP government. Instead, of bringing IT companies and industries to the State to generate employment for the youth it has given jobs to the youth in liquor shops. For the last two tenures, Vallabhaneni Vamsi Mohan served as an MLA for the constituency. Not even a single development reminds me of Vamsi Mohan’s contribution. Hence I prefer Yarlagadda Venkata Rao as an MLA dedicated to his vision for the constituency’s development,” Tarun said.

‘Vamsi is accessible and his victory is unstoppable’

Katragadda Venkaiah, a retired government school teacher, said that irrespective of political party affiliations Vallabhaneni Vamsi Mohan would win as an MLA for the third consecutive term because of his accessibility to the public in the constituency.

In the 2019 elections despite the YSRCP wave, Vamsi Mohan won as an MLA for the second consecutive term. “Despite switching his loyalties to the YSRCP from the TDP, Vamsi Mohan put all his efforts into implementing all the welfare schemes for the eligibles in the constituency,” he said and added that during the Covid-19 pandemic, Vamsi Mohan played a vital role in supplying medical support to the virus infected persons.

‘People are aware of whom to vote’

G Krishna Rao, a roadside vendor said leaders switch their loyalties to other parties based on their priorities but not for the general people.

“I have seen the administration of Vamsi Mohan in the last decade and he is accessible to the people but failed to bring employment opportunities to the region. My son recently completed his graduation and is now searching for jobs in Hyderabad and Bengaluru due to the lack of employment opportunities in the state. Yarlagadda Venkata Rao is coming up with an agenda to develop the constituency on par with the welfare and there are chances for him to win as an MLA in the constituency with a decent majority,” he said.

Overview of Gannavaram Assembly constituency

Gannavaram Assembly constituency is a constituency in Krishna (Partial) and NTR (Partial) districts of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the seven Assembly segments of the Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency was established in 1955, as per the Delimitation Orders (1955) and it is a mix of both urban and rural areas.

Vallabhaneni Vamsi Mohan is the incumbent MLA of the constituency, having won the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election from TDP and subsequently extended support to YSRCP. Vamsi Mohan defeated YSRCP candidate Yarlagadda Venkata Rao with a majority of 838 votes.

As of 2019, there are a total of 2,58,031 electors in the constituency. Gannavaram Assembly constituency is another stronghold of the Kamma community in the unified Krishna district, after Gudivada, Vijayawada East, and Mylavaram. The Congress won four times in the constituency, followed by the CPI’s third-time victory.