Visakhapatnam: Dr Seediri Appala Raju, who won the Palasa constituency with a good margin over TD candidate Gouthu Sirisha, granddaughter of freedom fighter Gouth Latchanna in 2019, hopes to retain the seat in this election.
Appalaraju hails from the fisher folk community and has been a brilliant student finding a seat in the open category in Rangaraya Medical College. He taught general medicine at Andhra Medical College and practised medicine at his home constituency for over 10 years.
He joined YSRC in 2017 and was part of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s padaya yatra. Jagan Reddy handpicked Appalaraju and made him contest the elections. He won the election by a margin of over 16,000 and brought a swing of 11.9 per cent. He was made minister for animal husbandry and fisheries.
“Jagan Reddy focused on development of backward Srikakulam and that would pay off,’’ Appala Raju.
Displaying his pamphlet to the electorate, Appala Raju said the Mulapeta Sea port would receive the first ship in February next year. The port would be a game- changer improving infrastructure and bringing investment to the region, he said.
He said Jagan Reddy also got major relief to chronic kidney patients by starting a super speciality hospital and research centre that would bring down incidents of kidney diseases in Uddanam and Palasa.
“The government also spent `700 crore to bring drinking water from Hiramandalam to Uddanam that would help the patients and the general public from the contagious diseases. Social welfare schemes worth `1,494 crore were implemented in the constituency during the last five years,’’ the minister said.
“A doctor-turned minister hailing from the fisher folk community is a boon to the region,’’ said his close follower Korrai Srikanth.
However, the minister is not free from the allegations of aiding land grabbers and ignoring his own party leaders. Recently Duvvada Srikanth, Palasa municipal chairman and younger brother of Tekkali candidate Duvvada Srinivas, resigned from YSRC and joined TD.
Gouth Sirisha, granddaughter of freedom fighter Sardar Gouthu Lachanna and daughter for former MLA Gouth Sivaji is also confident of dislodging Appala Raju.
Combined with JS leadership, Sirisha hopes to encash on dissidence in the YSRC and anti-Appalaraju groups within YSRC.
Observers say Sirisha failed to take advantage of the minister's land grabbing allegations by not raising it as a major issue. There is also a concern that her husband Venkayya choudhary, a Kamma, might wield power if Sirisha won the elections, the observers said.
