Kovur, abutting Nellore city, is known to be a fertile belt, located in the delta of the Pennar river, which meets the sea near Mypadu. Farmers and fishermen hold considerable sway in this constituency.
The constituency is currently represented by political heavyweight Nallapureddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), who won the seat in 1994, 1999, 2009, 2012 and 2019, albeit three times on a TDP ticket and twice on a YSRCP ticket. His father N. Srinivasulu Reddy, considered a close confidant of N.T. Rama Rao, won the seat on a TDP ticket in 1983 and 1985 and later on a Congress ticket in 1989.
On the other hand, Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy won the seat twice, in 2004 on a Congress ticket and in 2014 on a TDP ticket. His son Dinesh Reddy has now taken the plunge into politics with the TDP making him the constituency in-charge. This goes to show that the fight has always been between the Nallapureddy and Polamreddy families for the last four decades, rather than party ideology.
While both the leaders are vigorously campaigning in their constituency, Mr. Prasanna Kumar Reddy, being a five-time legislator, is apparently struggling to overcome the anti-incumbency factor. While he is betting big on the State government’s welfare schemes, there is palpable dissatisfaction among fishermen as well as paddy growers.
The fishing community is peeved at the discontinuation of the schemes introduced by the TDP towards purchase of boats or subsidy towards procurement of diesel for mechanised boats. Similarly, the farmers are upset over the lack of remunerative price for paddy, which is abundantly grown in this constituency.
The ruling party faces an uphill task after the surfacing of the Vavveru cooperative bank scam, which witnessed an alleged misappropriation of ₹2.35 crore.
Kovur is also known for its swing vote, alternatively electing TDP and Congress candidates. Since 2012, the YSRCP has dislodged the Congress to be one of the two main parties in the region.
