Pulivendula elections: TDP aims to break YSRCP’s long-standing family-led dominance

TDP Pulivendula municipal Chairperson candidate Thugutla Geetha Kumari is seen canvassing along with Pulivendula ZPTC member Mareddy Latha Reddy.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is leaving no stone unturned to maintain its supremacy in Pulivendula municipality in the upcoming elections, while the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is bent on wresting it this time.

Pulivendula, the ancestral village of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has remained the family’s fortress for more than forty years.

It was in the year 1978 that a member of the YSR family first contested as a ward member in Pulivendula. Since then, the Y.S. family has continued to hold sway over the local bodies and never let go of its supremacy.

In the process, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, and Y.S. Vijayamma. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Y.S. Avinash Reddy became MLAs, Members of Parliament and even the Chief Minister.

The party’s candidate in any Pulivendula election was always decided by the YS family, be it the Sarpanch, MPTC/ZPTC member, municipal councillor, or even the chairperson.

During YSR’s time, his choice became the Congress candidate, and now, Jagan’s word becomes the YSRCP nominee.

Buoyed by the 2024 general election results, when the TDP-led NDA wrested the state from YSRCP, the latter is maintaining the tempo to win the municipality.

“We aim to release Pulivendula from the stranglehold of this family to ensure its development”, says TDP constituency in-charge Mareddy Ravindranath Reddy alias ‘B.Tech’ Ravi.

While the YSRCP claims unprecedented development during 2019-2024 in Pulivendula, viz., the central bus station, Government Medical College, banana integrated pack house, Ulimella lake front, Shilparamam and the proposed world-class sports stadium, the TDP rubs the claim.

Much of the development started during TDP’s 2014-2019 rule and was on

ly carried forward during Jagan’s time, maintains TDP MLC Bhumireddy Ramagopal Reddy, who also hails from Pulivendula.

Gandikota reservoir, with a holding capacity of a mere 10 TMC, was expanded to 27 TMC by spending nearly ₹1000 crore towards the R&R package. Similarly, Chitravati reservoir, meant to hold 5 TMC, was expanded to 10 TMC by spending ₹270 crore for R&R in four villages.

Both the parties are bent on taking credit for the development, which happened in the course of the successive regimes. “After 2024, development came to a halt in Pulivendula. It is not easy to claim credit for bringing Krishna water to Pulivendula without acknowledging our role”, insists Y.S. Avinash Reddy.

Jagan Mohan Reddy’s aunt, Y.S. Prameelamma, has locked horns with TDP’s Thugutla Geetha Kumari for the ‘big fight’ in Pulivendula municipality.