Established after the delimitation exercise in 2008, the Araku Lok Sabha constituency has been a stronghold of the YSRCP if the results of the elections held so far are of any indication. With back-to-back victories in the 2014 and 2019 elections, the ruling YSRCP has set its sights on a hat-trick victory in the ST-reserved constituency.
On the other hand, the BJP, which has been allotted the seat as a part of the seat-sharing agreement with the TDP and the JSP, seems to make every effort to see that the saffron flag flies high in the constituency.
Key vote bank
The Konda Dora tribe’s population, the majority of whom are Christians, is larger than that of the other tribes in the area. They are likely to work against the BJP, and this factor might be an advantage to the YSRCP.
The YSRCP giving its ticket to Tanuja Rani instead of the sitting MP also does not seem to lead to much bickering in the party cadres there.
“The BJP is targeting the Bhagatha, Kotia, and Nooka Dora tribes, which do not consume beef. The Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, an affiliate of RSS, has already organised spiritual trips to Ram Janmabhoomi and Simhachalam temple in Visakhapatnam for the members of the above-mentioned Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), arranging free transport, food, and accommodation for them,” says Umamaheswara Rao of Araku Valley.
Opposition from within
The ASR district unit of the A.P. Adivasi Joint Action Committee is opposing former MP Kothapalli Geetha’s candidature as the BJP’s nominee for the Araku Lok Sabha seat. The committee sent a letter to the BJP leadership opposing her nomination.
In his letter to BJP president J.P. Nadda on March 13, the JAC district convener Rama Rao Dora drew attention to Ms. Geetha and her husband P. Rama Koteswara Rao’s alleged involvement in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case of 2015. He also alleged that Ms. Geetha does not belong to an Adivasi tribe and has claimed bogus caste status.
‘Youth disgruntled with YSRCP’
“It will be no easy task for the YSRCP to win the sea either, with its youth going up in arms against the party for the lack of employment, the release notification for only 36 posts in the special DSC and the lack of roads in the interior hamlets. However, YSRCP’s strong organisational structure and the welfare schemes its government implemented are expected to work in its favour,” says Chinnababu, sarpanch of Sunkara Metta village in the Araku Valley.
Before its tie-up with the BJP, the TDP announced S. Donnu Dora as the party nominee for the Araku Valley Assembly constituency. Siveri Abraham also aspired to get the TDP ticket. However, with the BJP getting the constituency as part of its understanding with the TDP and JSP alliance partners, they are said to be gearing up to enter the fray as independents. They are likely to work against the BJP-TDP-JSP nominees. Meanwhile, the BJP has nominated Pangi Raja Rao in this Assembly segment.
The Congress has fielded Setti Gangadhara Swamy for the Araku Valley Assembly segment while denying the ticket to Pachipenta Santha Kumari, a strong aspirant who lost in the 2019 election but has worked to strengthen the party from the grassroots level in the tribal areas of ASR district. Ms. Santha Kumari had announced that she would remain in the fray in protest against the denial of her ticket.
The first elections held after the inception of Araku Lok Sabha in 2008 was in 2009, and Kishore Chandra Deo of the Congress won the seat, defeating his nearest rival, M. Babu Rao of the CPI (M). However, YSRCP has proved its supremacy in the subsequent elections held in 2014 and 2019.
For the May 13 elections, Chetti Tanuja Rani of the YSRCP and Kothapalli Geetha of the BJP are in the race, while P. Appala Narsa of the CPI(M) also entered the fray.
Consisting of seven Assembly segments, including Kurupam, Parvathipuram, Palakonda and Salur, located in Parvatipuram Manyam, and Araku, Paderu and Rampachodavaram in ASR district, the Araku Lok Sabha constituency is all set to witness a keen contest.
Plagued by several issues like lack of road connectivity and power supply to interior hamlets, the people in some villages took to the streets demanding basic amenities.
The major issues plaquing the constituency include the lack of drinking water, accessibility to healthcare and primary education.
Araku LS graphic points
Total voters: 15.39 lakh
Women: 7.91 lakh; Men 7.47 lakh
Assembly constituencies - 7
