Nellore's political terrain: Dynasties holding sway since first polls in 1955
Tirupati: As Nellore district braces for the present elections, the political scene remains firmly under the grip of prominent dynasties that have held sway over public life ever since Andhra Pradesh's first assembly polls in 1955.
Cutting across party affiliations, these families have garnered significant support from the local populace, allowing them to retain their hold over the region through generations.
In the upcoming electoral contest, scions of the influential families of Anam, Mekapati, Nedurumalli, Nallapureddy etc are poised to test their mettle in the constituencies of Atmakur, Venkatagiri, Kovur and Sarvepalle, making these battles particularly intriguing.
The Anam family, entrenched in district politics for over eight decades, saw Anam Chenchu Subbareddy initiating the process. He was succeeded by his grandsons Ramnarayana Reddy and Vivekananda Reddy. Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, a seasoned legislator, secured wins in 1983 (Nellore), 1985 and 1999 (Rapur) under the Telugu Desam banner; in 2004 and 2009 (Atmakur) under the Congress flag, and in 2019 (Venkatagiri) as the YSRC nominee.
Having served as a minister in the cabinets of several chief ministers, Anam now seeks the Atmakur seat on a TD ticket.
The Mekapati family, led by Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, has a strong political legacy with electoral wins in Udayagiri (1985), Ongole (1989), Narasaraopet (1998), and Nellore (2009), followed also by the win in a 2012 by-election in Nellore.
Goutham Reddy succeeded his father, winning Atmakur in 2014 and 2019 for the YSRC. After Goutham's death, his brother Vikram Reddy won the Atmakur by-poll and is now running for the YSRC in the same constituency.
The Nedurumalli family, too, has left an indelible mark on the state's political canvas. Congress stalwart Nedurumalli Janardhan Reddy served as chief minister from 1990 to 1992 and was later elected as MP from Bapatla, Narasaraopet and Visakhapatnam. His son, Ramkumar Reddy, first shifted his allegiances to the BJP in 2014 before eventually joining the YSRC. He has now been fielded by Jagan Reddy from the Venkatagiri segment.
Nallapareddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy, a six-term MLA and YSRC nominee, wields formidable clout in the region. His family has held sway over the Kovur assembly segment for over four decades, with both Prasanna Kumar Reddy and his father, Nallapareddy Srinivasulu Reddy having served as ministers. This time, Prasanna Kumar faces a challenge from TD’s newcomer Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy.
Another seasoned campaigner, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, who tasted success twice in seven attempts, is locked in a fierce contest on a TD ticket from Sarvepalli. He is facing a formidable challenge from his long-standing political rival and YSRC minister, Kakani Govardhan Reddy.
Despite contesting polls seven times, Somireddy savoured success only twice. He is making his eighth bid this time.
