Hyderabad: While winning MLAs are readily recognised, not many know about the hardworking children who have been instrumental in their father’s victories. Dr Peela Srikanth, son of Peela Govinda Satyanarayana, the winning MLA in the Anakapalle constituency and Bandaru Appala Naidu, son of Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy who won the seat in the Pendurthi constituency, are two such people who worked tirelessly for their fathers’ political campaigns.
Born in Vizag and educated at Good Shepherd International School, Ooty and Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, Dr Peela Srikanth is undoubtedly one of the main reasons for his father Peela Govinda Satyanarayana success in winning the MLA seat in Anakapalle.
“This year, my dad was offered a MP ticket but due to the alliance of TDP and BJP, he was later given a MLA ticket from Anakapalle and all this happened just 20 days before the elections. Soon after his nomination in Hyderabad, dad reached Anakapalle and I had to give a speech the day I reached. I spoke in my broken Telugu and could see the crowd laughing. I had to tell them that I was out of the state almost all my life. But as days passed, I started to give around 10 speeches every day and was soon a good speaker. After college, I had shifted to Vizag and in Pendurthi, I had organised medical and blood camps, because of which I had a good rapport with the youth,” he says.”
After conducting several medical and blood camps in Vizag, the 26-year-old doctor plans to help convert the 100 bedded NTR hospital in Anakapalle into a 350-bedded hospital and is also in talks with his dad about a medical college.
While it wasn’t a cakewalk entry into politics for Dr Srikanth, Bandaru Appala Naidu was familiar with politics. After working at an MNC in Hyderabad, ‘Naidu’ as his friends call him, shifted to Vizag eight months back to work with his dad. “I wasn’t thinking of getting into politics but then my dad has asked me to attend a meeting on his behalf, as he was busy. That was the first time I was giving a speech in front of a large crowd. Then I organised the Vastunna Meekosam rally in our constituency. As my father is sometimes not able to interact with the lower cadre from the party. I am filling the gap between them,” he says.
