YSRC aims to make clean sweep in Srikakulam

SRIKAKULAM: The ruling YSRC’s ‘Why Not 175’ campaign and opposition TDP’s ‘Edemi Karma  Mana Rashtraniki ‘ protest are set to infuse new energy into the respective party cadres in the district to gear up for the next general elections in 2024.

Notwithstanding the internal bickerings in the party, the YSRC is hopeful of making a clean sweep by winning all the 10 Assembly constituencies in the district in the upcoming elections. The YSRC is mainly banking on welfare schemes being implemented by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government to win people’s trust.

The TDP cadres, who remained silent for over three years, have now become active with the Badude-Badudu campaign taken up by the party leadership in May against the additional tax burden imposed by the YSRC government on people. They are confident that the TDP will certainly repeat its 2014 performance in 2024 by winning majority of seats in the district.

The YSRC won eight out of the total 10 Assembly seats and lost the lone Srikakulam Lok Sabha segment in the 2019 elections. The TDP won two Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat even in the YSRC wave.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had taken Dharmana Krishna Das into his first cabinet, considering his loyalty to the party, while another senior leader Tammineni Sitaram was made the Assembly Speaker. Later, Palasa MLA Seediri Appalaraju was also inducted into the cabinet in place of Mopidevi Venkataramana, who was sent to Rajya Sabha. In the Cabinet reshuffle, Krishna Das was dropped and his brother Prasada Rao was inducted.

The YSRC riddled with internal bickerings, is likely to face some resentment from people in the ensuing elections as several development works promised to Srikakulam district have remained unfulfilled even after the three-and-a-half years of governance. Though Jagan announced projects worth Rs 1,200 crore for Srikakulam during his visit to the district in June, 2022, none of them has taken off so far.  

Some local YSRC  leaders, especially sarpanches admitted that there was growing discontent in the party as the government is diverting funds meant for village development to welfare schemes.
Contrary to the scenario in the YSRC, TDP leaders are hoping that anti-incumbency will help them repeat the 2014 show. There seems to be more internal bickerings in the YSRC rather than the TDP.

Jagan has laid emphasis on Tekkali Assembly segment, being represented by TDP AP State chief Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, after TDP chief’s Kuppam and want to wrest it at any cost in the next elections. Coming to Itchapuram, which is the centre for rampant kidney diseases, the YSRC is banking on government initiatives for kidney patients like the Uddanam water project to provide safe drinking water to  villages, increased pensions to kidney patients and kidney research centre at Palasa. However, more than three YSRC leaders are vying with one another for Itchapuram seat.

Appalaraju won Palasa seat in 2019 by defeating the renowned Gouthu Sivaji’s family with the promise to end rowdyism in the segment. Now, the Animal Husbandry Minister seems to be facing a rough weather due to internal bickerings in the party. His opponent Gouthu Sireesha is gaining people’s sympathy with the registration of ‘false cases’ against her by the YSRC regime.

Amadalavalasa MLA and Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram is also facing some opposition from local leaders in the constituency. People of Srikakulam are reportedly expressing displeasure over his MLA and Revenue Minister Prasada Rao for not completing the Kodi Rammurthy Stadium and integrated collectorate complex. Rajam MLA Kambala Jogulu (SC) and Pathapatnam MLA Viswasarayi Kalavathi (ST) are trying to achieve hat-trick win in the coming elections. However, YSRC cadres seem to be in displeasure as there is no visible development in the two constituencies.

Coming to Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu of TDP won for the second consecutive time in the last elections. There are many aspirants for the TDP ticket in Etcherla, Pathapatnam, Rajam and Palakonda constituencies. Seniors leaders like Atchannaidu, Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao, K Prathibha Bharathi, Kondru Murali Mohan and Gouthu Syam Sunder Sivaji are of the view that the coming elections are the most important for the party as well as to them.

YSRC district president Krishna Das said, “We have implemented nearly 98% of our election manifesto in just three years. Hence, we are getting a huge response to Gadapa Gadapaku - Mana Prabhutvam. The chief minister has allocated Rs 20 lakh to each village/ward secretariat to take up development works. In addition to that, he announced to allocate Rs 2 crore for development of each constituency. All these factors will certainly help the YSRC to make a clean sweep in the district in the next elections.”

On 175 out of 175 target, he said, “There is nothing wrong in setting the cent per cent target after implementing 98% of our election manifesto. We are all one family. There will be  scope for small differences in our family. Jagan has given clear-cut instructions to us to work for the people’s cause with total commitment.”

Speaking to TNIE, TDP Politburo member Kala Venkata Rao said, “There is no development in the State. It is clearly visible at the gross root level. Despite the claims of the ruling YSRC that it has given priority to welfare, no new scheme has been introduced in the last three-and-a-half years. The YSRC government is only continuing the old schemes with new names. We are getting an overwhelming response from people to our protests against the YSRC government’s failures on all fronts.”

SRIKAKULAM: The ruling YSRC’s ‘Why Not 175’ campaign and opposition TDP’s ‘Edemi Karma  Mana Rashtraniki ‘ protest are set to infuse new energy into the respective party cadres in the district to gear up for the next general elections in 2024. Notwithstanding the internal bickerings in the party, the YSRC is hopeful of making a clean sweep by winning all the 10 Assembly constituencies in the district in the upcoming elections. The YSRC is mainly banking on welfare schemes being implemented by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government to win people’s trust. The TDP cadres, who remained silent for over three years, have now become active with the Badude-Badudu campaign taken up by the party leadership in May against the additional tax burden imposed by the YSRC government on people. They are confident that the TDP will certainly repeat its 2014 performance in 2024 by winning majority of seats in the district. The YSRC won eight out of the total 10 Assembly seats and lost the lone Srikakulam Lok Sabha segment in the 2019 elections. The TDP won two Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat even in the YSRC wave. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had taken Dharmana Krishna Das into his first cabinet, considering his loyalty to the party, while another senior leader Tammineni Sitaram was made the Assembly Speaker. Later, Palasa MLA Seediri Appalaraju was also inducted into the cabinet in place of Mopidevi Venkataramana, who was sent to Rajya Sabha. In the Cabinet reshuffle, Krishna Das was dropped and his brother Prasada Rao was inducted. The YSRC riddled with internal bickerings, is likely to face some resentment from people in the ensuing elections as several development works promised to Srikakulam district have remained unfulfilled even after the three-and-a-half years of governance. Though Jagan announced projects worth Rs 1,200 crore for Srikakulam during his visit to the district in June, 2022, none of them has taken off so far.   Some local YSRC  leaders, especially sarpanches admitted that there was growing discontent in the party as the government is diverting funds meant for village development to welfare schemes. Contrary to the scenario in the YSRC, TDP leaders are hoping that anti-incumbency will help them repeat the 2014 show. There seems to be more internal bickerings in the YSRC rather than the TDP. Jagan has laid emphasis on Tekkali Assembly segment, being represented by TDP AP State chief Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, after TDP chief’s Kuppam and want to wrest it at any cost in the next elections. Coming to Itchapuram, which is the centre for rampant kidney diseases, the YSRC is banking on government initiatives for kidney patients like the Uddanam water project to provide safe drinking water to  villages, increased pensions to kidney patients and kidney research centre at Palasa. However, more than three YSRC leaders are vying with one another for Itchapuram seat. Appalaraju won Palasa seat in 2019 by defeating the renowned Gouthu Sivaji’s family with the promise to end rowdyism in the segment. Now, the Animal Husbandry Minister seems to be facing a rough weather due to internal bickerings in the party. His opponent Gouthu Sireesha is gaining people’s sympathy with the registration of ‘false cases’ against her by the YSRC regime. Amadalavalasa MLA and Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram is also facing some opposition from local leaders in the constituency. People of Srikakulam are reportedly expressing displeasure over his MLA and Revenue Minister Prasada Rao for not completing the Kodi Rammurthy Stadium and integrated collectorate complex. Rajam MLA Kambala Jogulu (SC) and Pathapatnam MLA Viswasarayi Kalavathi (ST) are trying to achieve hat-trick win in the coming elections. However, YSRC cadres seem to be in displeasure as there is no visible development in the two constituencies. Coming to Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu of TDP won for the second consecutive time in the last elections. There are many aspirants for the TDP ticket in Etcherla, Pathapatnam, Rajam and Palakonda constituencies. Seniors leaders like Atchannaidu, Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao, K Prathibha Bharathi, Kondru Murali Mohan and Gouthu Syam Sunder Sivaji are of the view that the coming elections are the most important for the party as well as to them. YSRC district president Krishna Das said, “We have implemented nearly 98% of our election manifesto in just three years. Hence, we are getting a huge response to Gadapa Gadapaku - Mana Prabhutvam. The chief minister has allocated Rs 20 lakh to each village/ward secretariat to take up development works. In addition to that, he announced to allocate Rs 2 crore for development of each constituency. All these factors will certainly help the YSRC to make a clean sweep in the district in the next elections.” On 175 out of 175 target, he said, “There is nothing wrong in setting the cent per cent target after implementing 98% of our election manifesto. We are all one family. There will be  scope for small differences in our family. Jagan has given clear-cut instructions to us to work for the people’s cause with total commitment.” Speaking to TNIE, TDP Politburo member Kala Venkata Rao said, “There is no development in the State. It is clearly visible at the gross root level. Despite the claims of the ruling YSRC that it has given priority to welfare, no new scheme has been introduced in the last three-and-a-half years. The YSRC government is only continuing the old schemes with new names. We are getting an overwhelming response from people to our protests against the YSRC government’s failures on all fronts.”