Lok Sabha polls 2024: Battle for Peddapalli turns hot

A traditional stronghold of the Congress, which has won from here in nine out of the 15 Parliament elections held after the constituency came into being in 1962, the last two elections in 2014 and 2019 saw the BRS asserting its hold over Peddapalli

Peddapalli: The Peddapalli political cauldron is on the boil with just about two months left for the Parliament elections, with all three major political parties gearing up to win and represent the constituency, reserved for Scheduled Castes, in the Lok Sabha.

A traditional stronghold of the Congress, which has won from here in nine out of the 15 Parliament elections held after the constituency came into being in 1962, the last two elections in 2014 and 2019 saw the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (then TRS) asserting its hold over Peddapalli. While it was Balka Suman in 2014, it was B Venkatesh Netha in 2019.

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Even as the Congress was witnessing intense lobbying for the party ticket this time, with the TPCC receiving a large number of applications from several aspirants, including prominent leaders, the entry of Venkatesh Netha into the Congress has given the situation all the necessary ingredients to turn into another battle for supremacy within the Congress. Before the sitting MP joined the Congress, senior Congress leader and Chennur MLA G Vivek’s son Vamshi, former Minister A Chandrashekhar, former MP Dr Chellamalla Suguna Kumari and many leaders had already made their aspirations clear.

The fact that the Congress won all the seven assembly segments that come within the Peddapalli Lok Sabha constituency only increased the demand for the Lok Sabha seat. In the 2019 polls, Chandrashekhar, a non-local candidate, was fielded by the Congress as no suitable candidate from the constituency was available. However, the situation has changed this time around. Vivek, who contested from Chennur segment, had decided to field his son in the Peddapalli parliament seat at the time of assembly elections and is trying for the ticket.

Elected as MP from Peddapalli on a TDP ticket in 1998 and 1999, Suguna Kumari has also applied for the Peddapalli ticket. The former MP, who became inactive in politics all these years after her defeat in the 1999 Lok Sabha polls, suddenly appeared in the assembly on Thursday and met IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu. A doctor by profession, she is working as a doctor in Dubai.

Gomasa Srinivas, who contested from Peddapalli on a BRS ticket in 2009, is also competing for the ticket. He had joined the Congress and tried for a ticket in 2014 and 2019. Former Sarpanch of Nagaram of Manthani mandal, Budida Mallesh is also trying for the ticket. Mallesh, who played an active role in Telangana Staehood agitation, is a close associate of Minister Sridhar Babu as well.

Praja Sangala leader Gajjala Kantham and Perika Shyam are also among those who have applied for the Peddapalli ticket.

On the other hand, there is yet no clear sign of who will be the choice of the BRS this time, though there were indications that the party was not inclined to renominate Venkatesh Netha, which could have led to his decision to switch over to the Congress. There are no signs of the BJP too having decided on its candidate yet. BJP SC Morcha national secretary Sogala Kumar, former MLA Kasipeta Lingaiah, SC Morcha State leader Jadi Balreddy and Kyatham Venkatramana are said to be trying for the ticket.

Kumar, who contested from Dharmapuri in the recent Assembly elections, had contested from Peddapalli in the 2019 Parliament polls and got one lakh votes.