MM Pallam Raju: Face Of Resurgent Congress In Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada (image:facebook.com/pallamrajumm)

Congress leader and former Union Minister Mallipudi Mangapati Pallam Raju (M M Pallam Raju) is contesting a Lok Sabha election after a gap of 10 years. In the Lok Sabha polls, he is contesting from Kakinada Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh.

Pallam Raju is not alien to Kakinada political arena. He has represented the constituency thrice in Lok Sabha; 1989, 2004 and 2009. He served as a Union human resource development minister and Minister of State for Defence in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

Pallam Raju hails from a political family; his father MS Sanjeevi Rao served as a Union Minister and his grandfather, Mallipudi Pallam Raju was a freedom fighter. Began his career in IT, due to compelling family circumstances, he had to entry into political field. In 1989, in his debut poll fray, despite being a new face, he emerged winner and at the age of 27, he became youngest MP in the 9th Lok Sabha.

Aside from being a parliamentarian, Pallam Raju held significant positions in various Lok Sabha committees as well as the national and state units of Congress. He is currently the Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Congress party manifesto committee. In an interview with the New Indian Express, Pallam Raju said that Congress poll plank for Kakinada and Andhra Pradesh include welfare and development of infrastructure for rapid growth of the State. “Special Category Status to the State and completion of Polavaram Project are the core issues to the State and they are part of the Congress national manifesto,” the New Indian Express reports, as he is saying.

In the Lok Sabha polls, he is fielded against YSRCP”s Chalamalasetti Sunil and Jana Sena Party (JSP) candidate Uday Srinivas Tangella.