Illegal laterite mining has hogged the limelight in a high-pitched battle for the ballot in Narsipatnam Assembly Constituency.
The villagers in Nathavaram mandal, which forms part of the constituency, are fuming over repeated instances of mining in their area despite court orders prohibiting the activity.
Mining menace
Laterite, a clay soil rich in iron and aluminium oxides and formed by the weathering of igneous rocks in moist warm climates, is abundant in Nathavaram hills. It is used as a raw material to substitute the use of bauxite ore for making aluminium. Locals say mining leads to depletion of groundwater in the area as well as severe dust pollution owing to movement of heavy vehicles, causing grave health hazards like silicosis.
Drinking water crisis, badly-maintained roads and delay in road widening in the town at a cost of ₹176 crore are some of the main issues that have taken centre-stage during the campaign.
Close contest
TDP Minister Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu, an old warhorse, is facing a stiff challenge from his friend-turned-foe Petla Ganesh Uma Shankar for the second time. Once a trusted lieutenant, Mr. Uma Shankar, brother of filmmaker Puri Jagannath, had fought against Mr. Patrudu in 2014 on a YSRCP ticket, with the contest going down to the wire. Mr. Patrudu managed to scrape through by a narrow margin of 2,338 votes. Mr. Uma Shankar served as mandal president of Kotavuratla. Though eight candidates are in the fray with BJP fielding G. Srinivasa Rao and Congress nominating Meesala Subanna, the main contest is between Mr. Patrudu and Mr. Uma Shankar. Interestingly, Jana Sena Party’s candidate Vegi Diwakar Babu’s nomination was rejected during scrutiny. Ms. Mutyala Papa tried for a JSP ticket but failed after which she along with YSRCP leader Yerra Patrudu joined the TDP just before the elections, giving a shot in the arm to Mr. Ayyanna Patrudu. Both TDP and YSRCP candidates belong to the powerful Kopula Velama caste.
Long career
Mr. Ayyanna Patrudu, who is on the hit list of Maoists, is a one-time Parliamentarian and a six-time MLA. One of his brothers, Srinu, was allegedly killed by Maoists in the late 1990s. He unsuccessfully ran for Assembly twice in 1989 and 2009, losing to Congress candidates B. Mutyala Papa and Raja Sagi Krishna Murthy Raju respectively. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Anakapalle in 1996-98.
There are allegations that Mr. Ayyanna Patrudu’s son Vinay was a benami partner in a laterite mining deal which the former strongly denies. However, the YSRCP accuses the Minister and his family of corruption and doing little for the development of the constituency.
In a big relief to Mr. Patrudu, municipal vice-chairman Ch. Sanyasi Patrudu and his wife Anita, who were not seeing eye-to-eye with the Minister for a year, have reportedly ironed out their differences.
