Parties tizzy as Srikakulam voters change loyalties every election 

SRIKAKULAM: Considered a politically volatile district, Srikakulam stands apart when it comes to giving its verdict. This district is known for giving a clear mandate to a single party. The electorate have a penchant for swing to only one side — either the TDP or the Congress (since 2014, the YSRC) — in the elections which makes every party to put a lot of focus on the district.

In 2009 elections, the district gave a clear mandate to the Congress which won nine of the 10 seats. By the next elections, in 2014, the voters took a U-turn and gave the TDP seven seats and three to the YSR Congress. The Congress was wiped out.

This elections, Jana Sena Party is the new entrant, but it is unlikely that it will make any impact and the TDP and YSRC will lock horns once again in the district leaving the two national parties — the Congress and BJP — as  non-players. More than 80 per cent of the population in the district lives in rural areas and their livelihood depends on agriculture and allied sectors. The district comprises 1,863 revenue villages under the purview of 1,099 gram panchayats in 38 mandals. There are five municipalities and one corporation. 

There are 10 Assembly segments and these segments are spread across three Parliament segments — Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Araku. While Assembly segments of Etcherla and Rajam fall under Viziangaram parliamentary constituency, Palakonda comes under Araku parliamentary segment. 
Previously, there were 12 Assembly segments in the district, but the number had come down to 10 in the delimitation of Assembly constituencies before the 2009 elections. Sompeta and Harischadnrapuram Assembly segments were abolished before 2009 general elections and the villages in the segments were merged with the adjacent Aassembly constitutions. 

As per 2011 census the district had a population of about 27,03,114.  The projected population for the current year is 28,25,362. Total number of electors is 20,64,330 including 10,35,623 male, 10,28,460 female and 247 others.

Candidate selection 
While sitting TDP MP K Ram Mohan Naidu is likely to contest once again from Srikakulam parliamentary constituency, Duvvada Sreenivas from YSRC and Metta Rama Rao from JSP will be his opponents. Other parties are yet to announce candidates
Since 1952, the Congress won the Srikakulam LS  constituency eight times, while TDP six times, Swatantra Party and an independent once. However, after the formation of TDP, it has won Srikakulam parliamentary seat six times while the Congress won the segment only thrice 
Veteran leader Boddepalli Rajagopala Rao won the seat six times, Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu four times and Kniti Viswanadham twice 
While Yerran Naidu worked as Union minister for rural development and employment in the United Front government in 1996, Killi Kruparani was Union minister of state for IT in the Congress govt in 2012

HOW PARTIES FARED EARLIER

• In 2009 election, TDP won the Ichchapuram Assembly constituency while the Congress bagged the remaining seats. After the death of former CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and his son launched the YSRC, its leader Dharmana Prasad Rao resigned from the Congress and in the by-election, won on YSRC ticket from Narasannapeta Assembly constituency 
• Similarly in 2014 elections, TDP won seven Assembly segments while YSRC won the remaining three 

YEAR    TDP    CONGRESS    YCRC
2009    1    9    0
2014    7    0    3