Nellore: Rivals turn friends for polls

Nellore: The ensuing elections will witness arch rivals in politics working together, following a change in political equations in SPSR Nellore district. Rivals from political families such as Anam, Nedurumalli, Mekapati and Nallapareddy are in the same party (YSRC) this time.

There is hardly any secret over serious differences between Anam and Nedurumalli and Mekapati and Nedurumalli families, whether they are in the same party or the opposition, but now they are dependent on each other’s support to win the elections.

For instance, former finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy is contesting from Venkatagiri on behalf of the YSRC and he needs the support of Nedurumalli Ramkumar Reddy, who is also in the YSRC and nursing the segment from a long time, to succeed in the election.

Similarly, Mekapati Gautham Reddy is banking on Anam Ramanarayana Reddy’s support to survive in Atmakur Assembly segment. Anam Ramanarayana Reddy has a sizable following in Atmakur segment as he carried out various development works in the constituency during his tenure as an MLA and finance minister between 2009 and 2014.

The migration of Anam Ramanarayana Reddy to the YSRC is also a blessing in disguise not only for Gautham Reddy but also for Sarveypalli legislator Kakani Govardhan Reddy who is in a bitter fight with his rival Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy.

As former legislator of the Rapur segment which was merged with Venkatagiri, Sarveypalli and Nellore rural after delimitation, Ramanarayana Reddy has a sway over Sarveypalli and is expected to help Kakani.

Incidentally, the Anams and Kakani, who were best friends once, are at loggerheads since 2009 after the Congress ticket for Atmakur was denied to Govardhan Reddy. They were not seeing eye to eye till Ramanarayana Reddy switched over to the YSRC from the TD in the recent past. In the case of the TD, arch rivals Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and Adala Prabhakar Reddy are forced to work together for each other’s success in Sarveypalli and Nellore rural segments.

The elections will also see TD senior leader Beeda Masthan Rao and YSRC leader Katamreddy Vishnuvardhan Reddy, who is all set to join the TDP, supporting each other.

Vishnuvardhan Reddy lost to Masthan Rao when he contested on the Congress ticket at Kavali in the 2009 elections.

Similarly former legislators of Atmakur, Bollineni Krishnaiah and Kommi Lakshmaiah Naidu were adversaries in the past but the latter came forward to support Krishnaiah who is the TD nominee now, in the ensuing elections at the instance of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

It remains to be seen whether the political adversaries back their rivals in letter and spirit as the district is famous for leaders defeating their own party candidates if they suspect any threat to their supremacy and positions.