The political parties in Tirupati and Kadapa district are focussing on the mass enrolment of the communities that are dominant in constituencies into their fold to prove a point to their rivals.
Kadapa Assembly constituency has around 60,000 Muslim voters. Both the YSRCP and the TDP fielded candidates from the community in the 2014 and 2019 elections. This time too, the YSRCP has fielded Deputy Chief Minister S.B. Amzath Basha from Kadapa again. However, the TDP chose Reddeppagari Madhavi Reddy, wife of party district president R. Sreenivasa Reddy, who is banking upon on votes of Muslim women.
The YSRCP cadres in Srikalahasti Assembly constituency got a shot in the arm on March 21 (Thursday) as more than 300 families including 100 belonging to Muslim community from Renigunta mandal joined the party in the presence of incumbent MLA Biyyapu Madhusudhan Reddy.
Renigunta town, especially Padma Nagar, Allimitta, Bugga Street and Panchali Nagar localities, has a strong Muslim voter base from where the families joined the YSRCP in the presence of religious leaders. The community leaders attributed their decision to the development witnessed in the constituency during the YSRCP tenure. The TDP has fielded Bojjala Venkata Sudheer Reddy, son of former Minister Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy from the constituency.
However, Mr. Madhusudhan Reddy hogged the limelight for the wrong reasons during the lockdown imposed due to coronavirus pandemic. He took out a tractor rally in the name of distributing essential commodities among the people but it was alleged to be a prime reason behind the spread of the infection.
In Nellore Urban constituency which has a sizeable Muslim population, the YSRCP has fielded Khaleel Ahmed against TDP former Minister P. Narayana, who banks upon his ‘Muslim outreach’ programmes during the TDP tenure.
Published - March 22, 2024 09:18 am IST
