Visakhapatnam: Chodavaram and Elamanchili constituencies, where Telugu Desam Party has traditionally held sway, are set to witness a fiercely contested electoral battle in the upcoming May 13 elections, with YSRC posing a formidable challenge. In Chodavaram, a stronghold of the TD for many years, the contest is between YSRC's Karanam Dharmasri and TDP's K.S.N.S. Raju for the fourth time.
The Chodavaram fight dates back to 2004, when the rivalry between Dharmasri and Raju started. Raju, representing the TD, had a firm grip on the constituency from 2004 to 2014, defeating Dharmasri intermittently.
However, Dharmasri's persistence and YSRC's rising influence posed a formidable challenge to Raju's supremacy. In 2019, Dharmasri triumphed over Raju, marking a significant shift in the political landscape. Despite TD's historical dominance, Dharmasri managed to clinch victory with a margin of 27,637 votes.
Similarly, in Elamanchili constituency, YSRC's U.V. Ramana Murthy Raju (Kannababu) is facing alliance party's Sundarapu Vijaya Kumar of Jana Sena. Despite TDP's reign from 1983 to 1999 and a brief return in 2014, Ramana Murthy of YSRC has secured victory three times in the past, including in 2019 elections.
