Tirupati : The key constituency on the western parts of the erstwhile Chittoor district which is now part of reorganised Annamayya district has around 30 per cent vote share of Muslim and Christian population who decide the fate of candidates in any election.
Though the Balija vote bank is larger than that of Muslims, political parties cannot ignore the Muslim community. The constituency consists of three mandals, Madanapalle, Ramasamudram and Nimmanapalle, and comes under Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency.
Madanapalle was the largest revenue division in the entire state prior to the reorganisation of the districts. Its huge tomato market has earned much fame to it besides the sericulture farming. The silk saris in the nearby Neerugattuvaripalle are very famous and earned distinction to the place.
In the last two elections in 2014 and 2019, YSRCP candidates Dr M S Desai Thippa Reddy and Mohammed Nawaz Basha emerged victorious from Madanapalle.
In the 2014 election, BJP candidate Challapalle Narasimha Reddy who contested as part of TDP, JSP and BJP alliance, was defeated by Thippa Reddy by a margin of 16,589 votes. In the next elections also TDP candidate and former MLA Dommalapati Ramesh was defeated by YSRCP’s Nawaz Basha by a margin of 27,403 votes.
The constituency is basically a TDP stronghold and the party has won the seat five times during 1983 to 2004. In 1983 and 1985 its candidate Ratakonda Narayana Reddy won the seat. In 1994, Ratakonda Krishna Sagar Reddy, Ratakonda Sobha (1999) and Dommalapati Ramesh (2004) were elected to the Assembly on TDP tickets.
However, in 1989 and 2009 Congress candidates Avula Mohan Reddy and M Shajahan Basha respectively got elected defeating TDP candidates. Similarly, between 1952 to 1978 Congress won the seat four times against two times by CPI.
YSRCP has decided to change the sitting MLA Nawaz Basha this time and has announced the name of Nisar Ahmed as its nominee already. TDP’s stand on candidate is not yet clear though a few names are doing rounds as possible candidates. Jana Sena party is also said to claim the seat to field its candidate.
As of now, there are more speculations on the candidature of former MLA M Shajahan Basha who won the seat on Congress ticket earlier whom the TDP may field against YSRCP. Though the names of another former TDP MLA Dommalapati Ramesh and Telugu Yuvatha state president Sriram China Babu are also doing rounds, Shajahan has fair chances to get the ticket, according to party sources as the party is determined to win the seat again now after three defeats.
In case it goes into Jana Sena quota, it may field S Ramadoss Chowdary. Taking into consideration the TDP-Jana Sena candidate, the possibility of YSRCP changing its candidate cannot be ruled out as it has happened elsewhere in the state. In that case, the party may once again consider Dr Desai Thippa Reddy’s name who is said to have a clean image. A clear picture can emerge once the TDP-Jana Sena candidate is decided which will only end the speculations.
