The YSR Congress Party’s gamble of fielding fresh faces in the politically sensitive Guntur district has paid off with the candidates pulling off spectacular wins over senior leaders of the Telugu Desam Party.
Lavu Krishnadevarayulu, vice-chairman of Vignan Group of Educational Institutions, emerged a giant killer by trouncing six-time MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao in Narsaraopet Lok Sabha segment by over 1.7 lakh votes. Mr. Krishnadevarayulu, though making his debut at the age of 37 years, had done his homework by launching his campaign six months ahead, bringing out a manifesto on key problems and solutions in one of the biggest Lok Sabha segments in the country.
By winning his maiden elections, Mr. Krishnadevarayulu joins the list of leaders like Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, N. Janardhana Reddy, K. Rosaiah, all of them who had served as Chief Ministers.
The election also marked the debut of Kasu Mahesh Reddy, from the Kasu family, who won against Yerapthaneni Srinivasa Rao in the Gurazala Assembly segment.
The YSRCP, in a bid to wean away the traditional vote bank of the TDP, fielded Vidadala Rajani from Chilakaluripet against a political heavyweight like Minister for Civil Supplies Prathipati Pulla Rao in Chilakaluripet. Ms. Rajani won the election with a majority of 8,301 votes. Ch. Yesuratnam, a former DIG of Police, another new face, lost by a margin of 4,289 votes to Maddali Giridhar of TDP in Guntur West Assembly segment.
The party sprung a surprise by picking up Nandigam Suresh, a young leader from Uddandarayunipalem in the Capital region, for the prestigious Bapatla Lok Sabha (SC) segment, who won with a majority of 18,000 votes against his rival Malyadri Sriram of the TDP.
Among the other new generation of leaders that could lead the party are Kilari Rosaiah, who won in Ponnur Assembly segment by trouncing five time MLA D. Narendra Kumar; Undavalli Sridevi, who won from Tadikonda, and A. Siva Kumar who defeated former minister Alapati Rajendra Prasad in Tenali.
