TDP, YSRCP field Kapu veterans in community’s stronghold

The Telugu Desam Party’s Ganta Srinivasa Rao and the YSR Congress Party’s Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, popularly known as Avanthi Srinivas, will battle it out for the Bheemunipatnam Assembly seat in the upcoming Andhra Pradesh election. The clash of the two veterans will be keenly watched by cadres of both parties as they have never lost an election in their over twodecade political career.

Both leaders hail from the Kapu community, which has a sizeable presence in the constituency.

The TDP’s decision to field Mr. Ganta Srinivasa Rao came after surveys pointed to his strong base in the constituency, which he represented in the Assembly during 201419.

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.

Represented twice

Similarly, Mr. Avanthi Srinivas of the YSRCP too has never lost any election. He won as Bheemunipatnam MLA on PRP ticket in 2009.

In 2014, he won the Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat on behalf of the TDP. In 2019, he switched his loyalties to the YSRCP and won the Bheemunipatnam Assembly seat.

Having represented the constituency twice in the Assembly, Mr. Avanthi Srinivas too has a strong base in the constituency.

The Bheemunipatnam Assembly constituency has about 2.56 lakh voters.

Meanwhile, there was jubilation in the TDP camp, with the supporters of Mr. Srinivasa Rao celebrating his candidature.