Political dynasties bite the dust in Andhra Pradesh
It is curtains down on many political dynasties in Andhra Pradesh. The voters have rejected the second generation members of several prominent politicians, particularly belonging to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Prominent among the losers was TDP president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh from Mangalagiri constituency in Guntur district. Similarly, the kith and kin of several senior ministers and prominent leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister K E Krishnamurthy, former Union Minister P Ashok Gajapathiraju, Paritala Sunitha and J C Diwakar Reddy had to bite the dust at the hustings.
Big setback
The defeat of Lokesh, whom Naidu was grooming as his political successor, came as a major embarrassment for the ruling party as it had mobilised a lot of resources in the prestigious constituency, located in the new capital, to ensure a smooth election for Lokesh. He lost by 5,200 votes to YSR Congress Party’s A Rama Krishna Reddy.
Though a minister in his father’s cabinet since 2017, Lokesh was a member of Legislative Council and after a frantic search across the state, Naidu had zeroed in on Mangalagiri on the outskirts of Vijayawada as a safe seat for his debut in direct elections.
The 36-year-old Stanford Management graduate was holding information technology and panchayat raj portfolio in his father’s cabinet.
Lokesh, who made a beginning as a ‘backroom boy’ in TDP politics a decade ago, was seen as number two in the government and the party but had not made his presence felt on the bigger political stage.
Blow to NTR’s family
Barring Chandrababu Naidu’s brother-in-law N Balakrishna, who managed to retain the Hindupur seat in Anantapur district, the other family members of late N T Rama Rao, the matinee idol of Telugu cinema and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, failed to secure the public mandate. NTR’s daughter and former Union minister D Purandeswari, who contested Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat on BJP ticket, lost the election. She was defeated by YSRCP candidate M V V Satyanarayana.
Her husband D Venkateswara Rao, fielded by YSRCP, lost in Parachur assembly constituency in Prakasam district at the hands of TDP’s Y Sambasiva Rao. Similarly Balakrishna’s son-in-law Sri Bharat, who contested the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat on TDP ticket, failed to make any mark.
In a generational shift, several senior TDP leaders sought tickets for sons, daughters, sons-in-law and other close relatives this time around. This had exposed Naidu to the charge that he was promoting dynasty politics in the state. A majority of the kith and kin of senior politicians were rejected by the voters.
Deputy Chief Minister K C Krishnamurthy’s brother K E Pratap and son K E Shyambabu lost the elections from Dhone and Pattikonda assembly constituencies in Kurnool district respectively. Similarly, TDP veteran and former Union minister P Ashok Gajapathiraju’s daughter Aditi, who contested the Vizianagaram assembly seat on a TDP ticket, lost the election.
Similarly, the family members of former Chief Minister K Vijayabhaskar Reddy—son K Suryaprakash Reddy (Kurnool LS) and daughter-in-law Sujathamma (Aloor assembly)—were defeated in the elections. Both were TDP candidates.
TDP minister Bhuma Akhila Priya and her cousin Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy lost from Allagadda and Nandyal Assembly seats respectively.
Akhila’s mother Shobha Nagi Reddy, a leader of YSRCP, died in a road accident during campaigning for the 2014 elections. She was declared elected from Allagadda after her death. In the by-election, her daughter Akhila was elected unopposed as no party fielded a candidate against her.
Later, Akhila and her father Bhuma Nagi Reddy, elected to the Assembly on YSRCP ticket, defected to Congress. In 2017, after Bhuma Nagi Reddy’s death, Naidu inducted Akhila in his cabinet. In the by-elections held for Nandyal, Nagi Reddy’s nephew Brahmananda Reddy was elected on TDP ticket.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi’s son Harish Kumar (TDP) lost the election from Amalapuram Lok Sabha constituency. The close relatives of senior TDP leaders like Murali Mohan, Paritala Sunitha, M V V S Murthy, T G Venkatesh and B Gopalakrishna Reddy were rejected by the voters.
