Venkatagiri proves to be lucky for non-locals

Nellore: The Venkagiri Samsthanam originally known as ‘Kalimilli,’ a part of erstwhile Madras Presidency, had been under the rule of Poligars (Paleygandlu) under Vijayanagara Emperors up to mid 17th century.

Later, it was ruled by Zamindars known as Venkatagiri Rajas till India became a Republic. It has become a constituency in 1952 comprising 756 villages. It is the biggest constituency in Nellore district.

During the delimitation of constituencies in 2009, it was confined to six mandals Venkatagiri, Balayapalli, Dakkili, Sydapuram, Kaluvaya, and Rapuru. Venkatagiri soon emerged as a centre point for power politics.

As per 2019 electoral list, there are 2,40,253 voters in Venkatagiri constituency. The average voter turnout recorded for polls in the constituency since 1952 has been 65 per cent to 75 per cent.

Interestingly most of the politicos from the Reddy community who got elected from Venkatagiri were non-residents of this constituency and they were from Vakadu, Kota, Sullurpet and Nellore mandals.

For various reasons, initially local people including Venkatagiri Rajas did not show interest to contest from the constiutency until N T Rama Rao established the TDP in 1983. Such a scenario automatically turned into an opportunity for outsiders to test their electoral fortunes by contesting from the constituency. Represntatives of Reddy community began dominating in the constituency since the elections in 1978.

One Podileti Venkataswamy Reddy (resident of Venkatagiri) of Congress party got elected twice in 1952 and 1967 defeating candidates from the Left parties.

Kurukonda Ramakrishna resident of Balayapalle mandal get elected twice under TDP banner in 2009 and 2014 Except this remain all times from 1978 outsiders ruling this constituency.

In 1978 elections, Nallapureddy Srinivasulu Reddy (political rival to Nedurumalli’s family) who belonged to the Kota mandal in Gudur constituency was the first outsider to get elected under the Congress banner in 1978 by defeating Independent candidate Podileti Venkataswamy Reddy (resident of Venkatagiri town) by a margin of just 412 votes. In 1983 elections, Srinivasulu Reddy’s brother Nallapureddy Chandrasekhar Reddy as an Independent candidate got elected by defeating Nedurumalli Janardhan Reddy of the Congress party by a margin of 3,162 votes.

In 1989, Nedurumalli Janardhan Reddy, a school assistant in Vakadu mandal, became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh after he got elected from Venkatagiri constituency under the Congress banner by defeating his nearest rival from the TDP Nallapureddy Chandrasekhar Reddy by a margin of of 19,261 votes. Later, Janardhan Reddy’s wife Nedurumalli Rajyalakshmi got elected from Venkatagiri constituency twice in 1999 and 2004 elections on the Congress ticket. Rajyalakshmi defeated TDP candidate Tathiparthi Sarada (Telugu film actress) by a margin of 10,718 votes in 1999 and Bhaskara Saikrishna Yachendra by 6,795 votes in 2004. Rajyalakshmi had served as a Minister in Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s Cabinet.

In 2019 elections, YSR Congress Party candidate Anam Ramanarayana Reddy (resident of Nellore town) got elected from Venkatagiri by defeating his nearest TDP rival Kurumonda Ramakrishna by 38,720 votes.