Ground Report| TDP scion Nara Lokesh Vs YSRCP’s newbie Murugudu Lavanya to clash in Mangalagiri

Guntur: All eyes are on the Mangalagiri constituency in Andhra Pradesh given Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary Nara Lokesh's vow to redeem his lost glory after the 2019 defeat.

Mangalagiri is one of the prestigious constituencies for both the TDP and YSRCP. Despite his defeat, Nara Lokesh is contesting for the second consecutive term from the same constituency.

Touted to be the political heir of former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, TDP is working overtime to snatch this seat from YSRP.

Padmasalis to determine results in Mangalagiri

Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, the YSR Congress Party's (YSRCP) MLA, who defeated Nara Lokesh by 5,337 votes, is not seeking reelection. The YSRCP leadership chose to replace two-term MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy initially with Ganji Chiranjeevi. The constituency, traditionally, is earmarked to the Padmasalis (weaver community).

Chiranjeevi left the TDP in August 2022 and was appointed as the in charge by the YSRCP on December 11, 2203, to take on Nara Lokesh after sitting MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy quit the YSRCP and joined the Congress. Here, the YSRCP leadership used social engineering as a heuristic to counter the formidable opposition and appointed Chiranjeevi as the charge for Mangalagiri.

This move by the YSRCP was aimed at securing all 80,000 votes from the Backward Classes (BC) community, from which Chiranjeevi is sprung, in the next elections. On February 20, Alla Ramakrishna Reddy rejoined the YSRCP. The party leadership, however, abruptly changed its mind and chose Murugudu Lavanya from Padmasali a novice, to take on Lokesh.

Lavanya is the daughter-in-law of former minister and YSRCP MLC Murugudu Hanumantha Rao and the daughter of former MLA Kandru Kamala. In the 1999 and 2004 Assembly elections, Hanumantha Rao triumphed for the Congress, as did Kamala, who was also elected as an MLA from Mangalagiri in 2009. Based on their demographic size, the Padmasalis have the power to determine the results of elections in the Mangalagiri constituency.

Overview of Mangalagiri constituency

Mangalagiri Assembly Constituency, under the Guntur Lok Sabha constituency, encompasses Mangalagiri, Tadepalli, and Duggirala mandals, and has approximately 2.68 lakh electors (as of 2019). In the Guntur district, Mangalagiri is a significant Vijayawada suburb. Part of the Tenali revenue division, the town is also a part of Mangalagiri Tadepalli Municipal Corporation.

Mangalagiri is home to Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, the dwelling place of Lord Vishnu, who took on the form of Thothadri. The town has been in existence for up to 500 years, and its primary industry is the creation of hand-dyed fabric. Mangalagiri Fabrics and Sarees was included as one of Andhra Pradesh's geographical indicators.

The incumbent MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy from the YSRCP had won the 2019 Assembly elections securing 45.47 percent of the total votes polled. He had defeated former minister Nara Lokesh of TDP who got 42.14 percent votes and Muppalla Nageswara Rao of CPI (4 percent votes).

From a historical standpoint, the Congress has won six elections in the constituency since 1952. The Left parties have won four times, the TDP has won twice (back in 1983 and 1985), the YSRCP has won twice (in 2014 and 2019), and the Janata Party has won once.

Weavers in thought of supporting Nara Lokesh

"Despite Nara Lokesh's being non-local, we will all cast our votes for the TDP this time around. Alla Ramakrishna Reddy was given a chance for the last two terms in the constituency, but he did not care much about our situation during hard times, other than carrying out state government welfare schemes," Sangabathula Venkateswara Rao, a weaver from Mangalagiri told the News Meter.

Drawing a comparison between the TDP and the ruling YSRCP, the 57-year-old weaver who has worked in the industry for 40 years claimed that the TDP has provided weavers with a pitiful Rs 2,000 during times of unemployment and natural disasters and that no special programs have been put in place to support them. On the other hand, the YSRCP began implementing YSR Cheyuta, which pays Rs 18,000 annually, and YSR Nethana Nestham, which pays Rs 24,000, he added.

The majority of weavers, according to Venkateswara Rao, are not satisfied with the increase in the price of goods and power, even though the YSRCP is offering welfare programs to them. When questioned about their backing for their community's representative in the YSRCP, Murugudu Lavanya, he responded, "This time we have decided not to encourage caste politics and focus on development." Because Nara Lokesh was approachable, unlike Lavanya, a novice, we will help him in this aspect," he said.

Alla Ramakrishna Reddy ignored tenant farmers

B Srinivas Rao, a native of Revendrapadu in Mangalagiri constituency said that the upcoming Assembly election will be biassed in favour of the TDP. Speaking about the reasons behind the YSRCP's defeat, he explained that the lack of sand in Vijayawada meant that the working class was the most negatively impacted, with no job possibilities for them.

"I work as a tenant farmer in my village, MLA Alla Rama Krishna Reddy, who describes himself as a farmer, did not provide the tenant farmers any compensation during the natural calamities”, he claimed, adding that Mangalagiri residents are expecting a change in the constituency because the TDP never won in Mangalagiri after the 1985 elections.

Furthermore, Nara Lokesh is reachable to the people, unlike the sitting MLA. Being in the opposition, Nara Lokesh spent money out of his pocket and provided welfare to the people, especially to empower the women, he added.

Lavanya has advantage of cast factor voting

Nobody could foresee which party would win in Mangalagiri, according to Kurala Nageswara Rao, a farmer in the constituency. Nara Lokesh is the son of former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Lavanya comes from the BC community and is a novice.

It has now become a serious contest between the people of a dominant caste and the BC community. With 50,000 voters from the BC community and Reddy backing her candidacy as an MLA, Lavanya has an advantage when it comes to caste factor voting, he said, and added that if the weavers community backed Nara Lokesh then it would be tough for Lavanya.

In response to a question on Ramakrishna Reddy's failure as an MLA, Nageswara Rao stated that he did not back the YSRCP's candidate Rama Krishna Reddy, but rather because he backed YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. “I am getting Rythu Bharosa annually, my children receive fee reimbursements, and my wife receives Rs 18,750 in financial support through YSR Cheyuta. "Why would I vote for any other party except the YSRCP after getting all the benefits?" Rao questioned.

Mangalagiri witnessed rapid development during YSRCP rule

“Mangalagiri is one of the seats in the state that has seen tremendous development,” said V Sambasiva Rao, a former school teacher and Tadepalli resident.

According to him, YS Jagan and Ramakrishna Reddy should share the credit. On denying the ticket to Ramakrishna Reddy, Rao stated that the chief minister's appointment of Murugudu Lavanya as the constituency's incharge was a commendable move that should be applauded as part of social engineering.

Rao expressed his gratitude to the chief minister for revitalizing the government schools under the Nadu-Nedu program, which had been completely disregarded under the previous administration. He continued, "The state's student dropout rate has gradually decreased as a result of the free midday meal program,” he said. Regarding Lavanya's prospects of winning, he stated that despite her inexperience and lack of familiarity with the public compared to Nara Lokesh, those who gained from the YSRCP government will undoubtedly back her.

On internal squabbles in the YSRCP that may affect Lavanya’s victory, Rao said that Alla Ramakrishna Reddy and Ganja Chiranjeevi would contribute to Lavanya's victory by keeping aside their agendas for YS Jagan, he added.