The ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has taken a political gamble by dropping the sitting MLA as the in-charge of the Chittoor constituency, according to party leaders. The move could result in a rough political climate for the party’s new in-charge, Vijayananda Reddy, who may face resistance from the dominant Balija community, to which the incumbent legislator Srinivasulu belongs.
In the latest announcement of in-charges on January 11, the YSRCP replaced A. Srinivasulu with M.C. Vijayananda Reddy as the in-charge of the Chittoor constituency. Similarly, M.S. Babu was replaced by former MLA M. Suneel Kumar as the in-charge of the Puthalapattu constituency.
Vijayananda Reddy, who hails from Kothapallemitta in the neighboring Gangadhara Nellore Assembly constituency, is presumed to be the YSRCP MLA candidate for Chittoor. He is highly regarded for his numerous service activities, including providing free space for vegetable vendors and farmers to sell their produce, funding repairs to the railway overbridge in Chittoor, and distributing clothes to underprivileged families during festive occasions.
However, sources within the YSRCP express concern over this decision, as they believe dropping the incumbent Balija leader, Srinivasulu, may anger the Balija community, potentially affecting the party’s support. Leaders from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) are confident that the Balija community will align with them. The surrounding areas of Chittoor are dominated by the Kamma community, to which TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu belongs.
Senior YSRCP leaders who oppose Vijayananda Reddy’s candidature argue that he lacks the support of half of the corporators who are loyal to Srinivasulu, T.G. Suresh, the chairman of the State Mudaliyar Welfare and Development Corporation, and Purushottam Reddy, the chairman of the Chittoor Urban Development Authority (CHUDA). They also suggest that Vijayananda Reddy is unlikely to receive support from former MLA C.K. Babu, as the TDP has reportedly regained influence in Chittoor rural and adjoining Gudipala mandal.
The political landscape in the Chittoor constituency is expected to undergo significant changes, as the late D.K. Audikesavulu Naidu’s family, synonymous with the Balijas in the Rayalaseema region, is rumored to enter the political arena on either the TDP or JSP ticket.
In contrast, the new in-charge of Puthalapattu, M. Suneel Kumar, is considered a non-controversial leader. Although he previously won as an MLA on a YSRCP ticket in 2014, he was not given the opportunity to run in the 2019 elections and has since remained politically inactive.
The TDP has yet to make significant strides in the Puthalapattu constituency, which has been reserved for SCs since 2009. The party has appointed K. Murali Mohan, a former journalist and political novice, as the in-charge of Puthalapattu.
Following his denial of a party ticket, M.S. Babu made serious allegations against the YSRCP government, accusing it of discriminating against Dalits. However, he later announced his continued support for the YSRCP.
As the political landscape in the Chittoor constituency undergoes these changes, only time will tell how the decisions made by the YSRCP will affect the party’s electoral prospects and the support of various communities in the region.
