Family Feud And Sibling Rivalry Makes Kadapa The Hottest Lok Sabha Constituency

The Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency is one of the most heated seats of Andhra Pradesh. This year, it is a triangular contest in Kadapa between Indian National Congress’ Y S Sharmila Reddy, Telugu Desam Party’s (TDS) Chidipiralla Bhupesh Reddy, and Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party’s (YSRCP) YS Avinash Reddy. Family feud between siblings and their cousin, and murder allegations has made the election battle in Kadapa more interesting.

Kadapa has been a bastion of the Y S family since 1989. The constituency has been under the clasp of YS Rajasekhara Reddy, thrice and his brother YS Vivekananda Reddy twice until Jagan Mohan Reddy, the current Chief Minister of the state, and son of Rajasekhara Reddy, won the seat in 2009. From 2014 onwards, the seat was kept by YS Avinash Reddy.

YRCP’s YS Avinash Reddy and Congress’ YS Sharmila Reddy are cousins. Sharmila Reddy and Jagan Mohan Reddy are siblings. Interestingly, Avinash, who is the cousin of Sharmila and Jagan, is the prime accused in the murder of Vivekananda Reddy, the three’s uncle. Sharmila accuse Jagan of protecting Avinash.

The 2024 Lok Sabha election is crucial for Kadapa, not only because the heightened version of sibling rivalry, but the election also determines who inherits the much-acclaimed legacy of their father Rajasekhara Reddy.

Kadapa has been a Congress forte since Rajashekhara Reddy took power in 1989. But when Jagan Mohan Reddy, quit Congress and formed his own party YSRCP in 2011, and by-poll was held in 2012, the seat has been under the clasp of his party. The current CM of Andhra Pradesh quit Congress after the conflict on party high command denying him the permission to go on a condolence trip of his father’s death.

Jagan Mohan has steered the region’s politics in his direction. The grand old party literally went from invincible to invisible in Kadapa. Fielding Y S Sharmila is the best hope Congress can have to win back their old forte.