Date:04/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/04/stories/2004040401660500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Winning a second time is difficult here

By Our Staff Reporter

NIZAMABAD, APRIL 3. In all, 44 legislators, who were returned to the State Assembly since 1952 have never become MLAs for the second time in Nizamabad district.

The latest to join the long list of candidates, who failed to make it to the Assembly include the former TDP MLA from Kamareddy, Syed Yusuf Ali and Jukkal, Aruna Tara. Mr. Yusuf Ali has been shifted to Nizamabad to contest the Lok Sabha election.

Ms. Aruna Tara, joins 18 other MLAs who were never renominated in the subsequent elections. Kamareddy tops the list with five MLAs whose political career ended with one term as members of the AP Assembly. They are A.Krishnamurthy (TDP 1985), P.Gangaiah (TDP 1983), Y.Satyanarayana (1967), Rama Rao (1957) and G.Vithal Reddy (1952), all of Congress.

In the same category are A.Kishandas (1978), V.Chakradhar Rao (1972), both Congress, K.V.Gangadhar (1967) and Harinarayana (1962), both independents from the Nizamabad segment. T.Anjaiah of Congress from Armoor in 1957, Mandava Thomas Choudary of TDP from Dichpalli in 1983, Y.Srinivas Reddy of TDP in Yellareddy in 1985, D.Sambasiva Rao of TDP in 1985 and R.Bhoom Rao, Independent in 1967 from Bodhan, also join the list of one-time MLAs.

If 18 MLAs were not given a chance for the second time, there are others, who have been renominated but tasted defeat in subsequent elections. An analysis of the election results from 1952 for the Andhra Pradesh Assembly would reveal that the voters have returned only one MLA, G.Rajaram, five times. The senior Congress leader, Rajaram, first won from Armoor segment in 1952 and then shifted to Balkonda constituency to win the 1962, 1967, 1972 and 1978 elections in a row. In all 64 MLAs have represented nine Assembly constituencies since 1952.

Two others, Minister for School Education, Mandava Venkateswara Rao and M.Srinivas Rao, have been returned to the Assembly on four occasions. Mr. Venkateswara Rao has been representing the Dichpalli Assembly constituency from 1985. Mr. Venkateswara Rao hopes to join the select list of Rajaram, to win five elections in a row. By winning four times, he is on a par with M.Srinivas Rao of Congress, who got elected from Bodhan in 1957 and then moved to Banswada segment to repeat the feat in 1967, 1972 and 1978 elections.

Five MLAs have the distinction of winning three elections. They include former Minister, S.Santosh Reddy, who won the Armoor seat on Congress ticket in 1978, 1983 and 1989. The Minister for Technical Education, Nerella Anjaneyulu and Congress MLA, K.R.Suresh Reddy, have won three elections in a row in 1989, 1994 and 1999. Tummala Ganga Reddy won the Armoor seat in 1962, 1967 and 1972. The District Congress Committee president, S.Gangaram, won the Jukkal seat in 1978, 1983 and 1989.

A peculiar trend observed in Kamareddy Assembly segment is that no candidate with the exception of Y.Venkatram Reddy, has won the election for the second time since 1952. The Congress and the Telugu Desam Party, which was formed in 1982, have never given a second chance to its candidates. G.Vithal Reddy, T.N.Sadalaxmi, P.Madhusudan Reddy, Y.Satyanarayana, B.Balaiah, P.Gangaiah, Krishnamurthy, Md. Shabbir Ali, Gampa Goverdhan and Syed Yusuf Ali, who contested the elections on either Congress or TDP ticket, were never returned for the second time.