Reddys, Balijas can tilt the balance in Tirupati

Barring Vijaya Sikhamani and NTR, MLAs of Tirupati have always been from these two communities

As far as the Tirupati assembly constituency is concerned, the candidates from the Reddy and Balija communities have made it to the goal post in the past with ease.

While both the political parties have overtly chosen candidates from either of the communities obviously to ‘play it safe', the voters too have emphatically returned such candidates.

The financially-strong Reddys are a dominant community, while the numerically-strong Balijas are over a third of the population. Going by the constituency's track record since the Assembly elections held in 1955, the segment has always been represented by these communities, barring two occasions.

After the constituency was formed, it was Reddivari Nadamuni Reddy who won with a thumping majority on behalf of the Congress in 1955 and again in 1962. Later, Agarala Eswara Reddi won on behalf of the Swatantra Party in 1967. In 1972, the Congress chose a dark horse Vijaya Sikhamani for the seat in 1972, who became the first person from the Dalit community to win the Tirupati segment. It was again the turn of Dr. Eswara Reddi to romp home in 1978.

After the launch of the Telugu Desam Party, thespian and party founder N.T. Rama Rao chose Tirupati as his springboard and won with a huge margin. Though he became the first Kamma to get elected from Tirupati, his victory could also be attributed to his charisma as a film star and a mass political leader. After he chose to resign from Tirupati the same year, the TDP gave the ticket to Katthula Shyamala, the first Balija candidate from the constituency, who won on the high tide of NTR's popularity and the woman sentiment.

The Congress fielded Mabbu Rami Reddy, who won with ease in 1985 and again in 1989. As the Congress relied more on Reddy candidates, the TDP reposed faith the numerically-strong Balijas. TDP's A. Mohan won the seat in 1994. In 1999, TDP chose another Balija candidate Chadalawada Krishnamurthy, who retained the party's vote bank. Bucking to pressure this time from Balija leaders in the party, the Congress, which was desperately in need of a victory, gave ticket to M. Venkatramana, who sailed through with ease with the help of the anti-incumbency wave against the TDP regime.

When Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) was formed, its founder K.Chiranjeevi, also belonging to the Kapu/Balija community, stood from this segment and won with ease against the Congress' B. Karunakar Reddy.

Barring Vijaya Sikhamani and NTR, the legislators of Tirupati have always been from the above two communities. With both the Congress and TDP fielding M. Venkatramana and Chadalawada Krishnamurthy as their respective candidates this time, that the Balija community holds sway over the constituency is clear, while the YSR Congress is fielding YSR's trusted lieutenant B. Karunakar Reddy.

There's little surprise then that the voters among the two communities are vertically split over the candidate's caste, rather than on political ideology!