Tirupati: The electoral battleground in Puthalapattu, a Scheduled Caste reserved Assembly constituency in Chittoor district, is witnessing a high-stakes triangular contest.
The YSRC, Telugu Desam and the Congress have thrown their hats into the ring.
Puthalapattu has been an elusive terrain for the TD since its delimitation in 2008. While Congress candidate P Ravi won the seat in 2009, YSRC candidates Sunil Kumar and MS Babu secured back-to-back victories in 2014 and 2019 respectively. After three consecutive defeats, the TD now replaced its former candidate Lalitha Kumari, who lost in 2009, 2014 and 2019, with K Murali Mohan, a senior journalist.
The YSRC has fielded its former MLA, M. Sunil Kumar, who aims to reclaim the seat he held from 2014 to 2019.
The TD is pinning its hopes on Murali Mohan to break the party's electoral drought in the constituency since its delimitation in 2008.
Adding a twist to the contest, the Congress has nominated M.S. Babu, the incumbent YSRC MLA who defected to the party recently after he was denied ticket by the ruling party.
While Murali Mohan aims to appeal to the constituency's electorate with his own development manifesto and the TD’s Super Six agenda, Sunil hopes to leverage his experience and the YSRC government’s welfare schemes to win votes.
Both Sunil and Murali are actively engaged in the campaign.
However, the entry of Babu as the Congress candidate has added an intriguing twist to the electoral battle. His vocal criticism of the YSRC leadership, particularly chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, and his allegations of unfair treatment towards SC MLAs have garnered him sympathy from certain sections of the voters.
Political analysts believe Babu's defection from the YSRC and entry to the Congress at this time could lead to a sharp vote-splitting, especially among the Dalit and Tamil Mala communities that are linked to him, much to the disadvantage of the YSRC nominee.
Babu's influence extends beyond party lines. His affiliation with the Tamil Mala community, combined with the presence of the sizable Tamil population among Dalits in the area might be an advantage to the Congress in the constituency.
