The general elections have turned out to be a mixed bag for the MLAs in Prakasam district who defected the Congress and joined other political parties eyeing greener pastures as some of them romped home, while the others reaped sour grapes.
Former MLAs Gottipatti Ravikumar (Addanki) and A.Suresh (Yerragondapalem), who switched loyalties to the YSR Congress, got re-elected by margins of 4,000 and 1,100 votes respectively, but their party colleague in the dissolved State Assembly, Buchepalli Sivaprasad Reddy, who contested the polls on the YSRC ticket lost in Darsi narrowly by a slender margin of 1,400 votes.
None of the Congress leaders from the district who joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the 11th hour, got re-elected.
Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy and MLAs Anna Rambabu (Giddalur) and B.N.Vijaykumar (Santhanuthalpadu) who contested on the TDP ticket lost the ground by 15,000, 1,100 and 12,100 votes respectively.
Former Minister and Parchur MLA Dagubatti Venkateswara Rao, son-in-law of NTR, called it quits this time to avoid the ignominy of defeat that his wife and former Union Minister Dagubatti Purandeswari faced in Rajampet constituency.
For the same reason, former Minister M. Mahidhar Reddy who represented Kandukur and former MLA from Kondepi G.V.Seshu preferred not to contest the elections this time.
However, bidding goodbye to the Congress yielded good results for some of the leaders.
Former Chirala MLA Amanchi Krishnamohan, who resigned from the Congress in protest against the State bifurcation and contested the polls as independent, won by a margin of 4,500 votes the prestigious seat.
The Congress had won 10 of the 12 Assembly seats in 2009 polls, leaving one to the TDP and the erstwhile Praja Rajyam Party each.
