Kurnool: The Pathikonda constituency is gearing up for a fierce electoral battle, with sitting legislator Sridevi seeking to secure her seat in the present elections.
Once a stronghold for the Telugu Desam, the constituency shifted its allegiance to the YSR Congress in 2019 following the murder of former Congress leader and husband of Sridevi, K Lakshmi Narayana Reddy.
The sympathy wave propelled Sridevi to victory. This time around, the opposition nominated KE Shyam Kumar, son of former deputy chief minister KE Krishna Murthy, as its candidate, a formidable opponent to Sridevi.
Despite Telugu Desam candidates historically dominating the polls in Pathikonda, Sridevi's victory in 2019 had marked a significant departure. She secured a 42,000-vote majority. Telugu Telugu Desam candidates won the seat in 1985, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
However, during the 2019 polls, Kangati Sridevi won the seat on the YSR Congress ticket due to the sympathy wave following the murder of her husband in 2017. Even in the 2014 elections, ruling party candidate Kotla Hari Chakrapani Reddy faced defeat when KE Krishna Murthy was the Telugu Desam nominee.
Similarly, K Lakshmi Narayana Reddy, husband of Sridevi, faced defeat in the 2014 polls when he was fielded by the Congress. Despite facing defeat in the last polls, Telugu Desam has again nominated KE Shyam Kumar, providing a stiff competition to the sitting legislator.
Notably, after five years, the voters are unhappy as she has failed to develop the constituency in any significant manner.
KE Prabhakar, the younger brother of Krishna Murthy, too attempted to contest from the constituency this time, but was not given the opportunity. He met Chandrababu and urged him to reconsider the decision, but to no avail.
Due to this, Prabhakar remained largely inactive in opposition politics. He is participating nominally in campaigns and other activities of the Dhone assembly segment candidate and former Union minister Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy.
As campaigning intensifies, observers anticipate a neck-and-neck contest. With welfare schemes of the ruling party in her favour, Sridevi remains optimistic about her chances. The opposition candidate is also hopeful of gaining from the anti-incumbency mood this time.
