Venkatagiri Assembly constituency is geared to witness a keen fight between the YSRCP and TDP, which have fielded novices hailing from established political families.
The constituency is traditionally considered a TDP stronghold, making leaders including Nallareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy (1983), V. Bhaskara Saikrishna Yachendra (1985), Velugoti Raja Yachendra (1994), and Kurugondla Ramakrishna (2009 and 2014) win the seat.
On the other hand, Congress candidate and former Chief Minister Nedurumalli Janardhan Reddy wrested the seat from the TDP in 1989, and his wife N. Rajyalakshmi won it in 1999 and 2004.
The 2022 district reorganisation exercise brought the bordering constituency from SPSR Nellore into the fold of Tirupati district.
Now, Mr. Janardhan Reddy’s son Nedurumalli Ramkumar and former TDP MLA Mr. Ramakrishna’s daughter Lakshmi Sai Priya are in the fray from YSRCP and TDP, respectively. Though Mr. Ramkumar is the YSRCP district president, it is his first direct election.
Both candidates expect their political legacies to work in their favour. Mr. Ramkumar believes the surname ‘Nedurumalli’ will help him gain acceptance beyond barriers, while Ms. Priya banks on the support base of her father, known for his accessibility to the public.
The very mention of ‘Venkatagiri’ brings to mind the traditional cotton sari, known to be light and soft in texture due to its thin count of 120-120.
The constituency’s sizeable weaver population deserves a better deal in terms of State support, which remained glaringly insufficient over the decades, irrespective of the party in power.
Vote distribution
Though the manpower handling the looms hail from different social backgrounds, the weaver community accounts for 18,000 votes, forming a larger chunk of the BC vote pie of 40,000 votes. The Kammas account for 20,000, Reddys form 18,000 votes, SC voters are 58,000, and the ST community has 10,000 voters.
Hence, the candidates’ local manifesto must be heavily tilted towards weaver welfare, such as upskilling the artisans, convincing them to look beyond the routine, and making trendy designs in their looms.
Though the TDP is strong in Venkatagiri and Balayapalle mandals, it faces an uphill task in Kaluvoy, Dakkili, and Saidapuram mandals, which remained a Congress forte earlier and are now a YSRCP bastion.
The incumbent MLA, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, who has switched from the YSRCP to the TDP to contest the Atmakur constituency, holds considerable sway in this region. Ms. Lakshmi Priya expects his support to help turn the tide in her favour.
