Mama-Bhanja clash in Amadalavalasa

Visakhapatnam: Speaker Tammineni Sitaram is facing criticism that he, as YSRC candidate, is campaigning for the ruling party in the present elections in AP.

He happens to be the first Speaker in the state to carry his party flag to every door in his constituency as part of the campaign this time, highlighting its welfare schemes. Many called it a violation of protocol, but Sitaram says, “I am MLA first and Speaker next. If I sit back at my home, the people in the constituency would forget me.”

“This campaign is helping Sitaram today. He is confident of winning this election with a good majority,” said his close follower, Neela Rao.

Sitaram contributed immensely to the building of Telugu Desam in Srikakulam district. He was director of Amadalavalasa sugar factory at the age of 25 when NT Rama Rao gave him a ticket. After that he won the seat five times and functioned as minister for nine years.

A seasoned politician, he became MLA in 1983, 1985, 1994, 1999, and 2019. He joined the Praja Rajyam and contested the polls in 2009 and lost to Boddepalli Satyavathi of the Congress. He joined the YSRC in 2013, fought the 2014 elections and lost to his nephew Kuna Ravi Kumar of the Telugu Desam. He won the seat in 2019 defeating Ravi Kumar and went on to become the Speaker.

Sitaram would again be fighting against his nephew Ravi Kumar --his sister’s son and brother-in-law by marriage. The fight has generated a lot of interest, dividing the Kalinga community.

Sitaram claims that Jagan Reddy’s welfare schemes increased the living standards of the lower rungs of the society and helped women in protecting their self respect.

“Under Nadu Nedu, we improved schools and hospitals and introduced English-medium in schools located in remote villages. The Rythu Bharosa Kendras, grama sachivalayam are the symbols of development,’’ Sitaram explains during his campaign.

Local leaders said Sitaram takes the credit for enabling the poor to get pensions, which were stalled by Telugu Desam JanmaBhoomi committees in Ponduru mandal. One of his followers went to the high court and got a sanction for release of four years' pension to over 300 beneficiaries. Each beneficiary got an average amount of Rs 80,000 in 2018.

Kuna Ravi Kumar said the people were fed up with the YSRC as “no significant development” took place in the constituency during the last five years. The welfare schemes did not benefit many, he claimed.

- Total votes-1,93,479

- Male-95,987

- Female-97,477

- Third gender-15