First-timer YSRC Bharat challenging veteran Konathala of JS in Anakapalli

Bharat Kumar is an IT professional who worked in Hyderabad for some time before moving to San Francisco, where he established his own company. He returned to his village and began taking active part in politics. His mother had been an MPP president and father Ramana Rao is a director of Visakha Dairy.

Bharat’s social service in villages caught Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s attention and the CM asked him to contest from Anakapalli assembly constituency. Bharat replaces sitting MLA and industries minister Gudivada Amarnath. Survey reports in Anakapalli do not favour Amarnath. The ruling party has hence shifted him to Gajuwaka constituency.

The NDA alliance has picked up veteran politician and former minister Konathala Ramakrishna, who joined Jana Sena last month.

Ramakrishna belongs to the Gavara community which comprises more than 40 per cent voters in the Anakapalli segment. The Jana Sena candidate had become the Anakapalli MP in 1989 by defeating senior TD leader Petakamsetti Appalanarasimham.

It became a national record, as Ramakrishna defeated Appalanarasimham by just nine votes.

Ramakrishna became an MP again in 1991 but lost in 1996 to Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu of Telugu Desam. He became MLA in 2004 to become minister but lost in 2009 to Ganta Srinivasa Rao who represented Praja Rajyam Party.

Ramakrishna never contested any election after that and joined YSRC in 2013. Soon he quit YSRC and remained disconnected with people for over a decade, occasionally raking up the issue of pending irrigation projects in north Andhra.

“Ramakrishna has the advantage of getting full support from former minister Dadi Veerabhadra Rao, who quit YSRC and returned to Telugu Desam,” said a local TD leader. Both Ramakrishna and Veerabhadra Rao had fought against each other in many elections.

YSRC’s Bharat is, however, exuding confidence about winning the forthcoming election from Anakapalli.

“My parents and grandparents have been in local politics for past 40 years. I had the opportunity of watching them from close quarters. I have the backing of youth who would steer me to victory,” Bharat told reporters recently.