Telugu Desam Party’s Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, popularly known as Avanthi Srinivas, of the YSR Congress Party will battle it out for the Bheemunipatnam Assembly seat in the ensuing elections.
The clash of the two veteran leaders is rated high by cadres of both the parties as they have never lost an election in their over two-decade political career.
The TDP cadre had anticipated Mr. Srinivasa Rao’s candidature from Bheemunipatnam Assembly constituency two months ago. However, the party leadership had asked the former Education Minister to contest from Cheepurupalli Assembly constituency in Vizianagaram district. Mr. Srinivasa Rao, however, told the leadership that he was keen on throwing the hat into the ring from either Bheemunipatnam, Chodavaram, or Madugula.
The TDP’s decision comes after the surveys commissioned suggested that Mr. Srinivasa Rao be fielded from Bheemunipatnam. The surveys have pointed out that Mr. Srinivasa Rao has a strong base in the constituency, having represented it in the Legislative Assembly during 2014-19.
It is interesting to note that Mr. Srinivasa Rao has never been in the fray twice from any Assembly constituency.
In 1999, Mr. Srinivasa Rao won the Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat on the TDP ticket. In 2004, he won the Chodavaram Assembly seat on behalf of the TDP. After joining the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) in 2009, he emerged victorious from Anakapalli Assembly constituency. In the 2014 elections, he won from Bheemunipatnam. In 2019, despite the YSRCP wave, Mr. Srinivasa Rao won from Visakhapatnam North Assembly constituency.
YSRCP leader Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao. | Photo Credit: File Photo
Similarly, Mr. Avanthi Srinivas of the YSRCP too has never lost any election.
He won as Bheemunipatnam MLA on PRP ticket in the 2009 elections. In 2014, he won the Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat on behalf of the TDP. In 2019, he switched his loyalties to the YSRCP and from Bheemunipatnam Assembly constituency.
Having represented the constituency twice in the Assembly, Mr. Avanthi Srinivas has a strong base.
Both the leaders hail from the Kapu community, which has a sizeable presence in the constituency.
Bheemunipatnam Assembly constituency has about 2.56 lakh voters (1.74 lakh male and 1.91 lakh female), the highest among the seven Assembly constituencies in Visakhapatnam district.
Meanwhile, there was jubilation in the TDP camp, with the supporters of Mr. Srinivasa Rao celebrating his candidature both at his residence in Visakhapatnam and camp office at Bheemunipatnam.
