VISAKHAPATNAM: It is a rare royal combination under one flag in the State. Scions of four families belonging to royal dynasties of Vizianagaram, Bobbili, Kurupam and Chinamerangi in Vizianagaram district are now in Telugu Desam Party and testing their fortunes in the 2019 elections.
All four royal families have never been in a single party. Ashok Gajapati Raju and his elder brother Anand Gajapati Raju of Vizianagaram royal family were the first to join the TDP in 1983 when the party was formed by NT Rama Rao.
Anand, who was the minister in successive governments of the TDP and elected to the Lok Sabha thrice, later switched loyalties to the Congress.
However, Ashok has been in the TDP since its inception. He was handed key ministerial portfolios in the Naidu cabinet in the undivided AP and Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
“The four royal families from the district have never been under one umbrella. It may have happened accidentally as they took decisions individually. But it is good and augurs well,” says GJJ Raju, former vice-president of the Andhra Cricket Association.
Raju, who is acquainted with all the four royal families, says people have been accepting their leadership as they believe royal scions have jumped into political arena only to serve them.
Vijaya Ramaraju Satrucharla of Merangi samsthan, who was elected to the Lok Sabha thrice and twice to the Assembly, quit the Congress and joined the TDP just before 2014 elections following bifurcation of the State. His nephew Janardhan Tatraj, MLA from Kurupam, also joined the TDP along with him then.
Vijayarama Raju unsuccessfully contested as TDP nominee from Pathapatnam in Srikakulam district in 2014 elections. He was, however, elected to Legislative Council in 2017 as TDP nominee from Srikakulam LAC constituency.
Scion of Bobbili royal family Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao has been elected from Bobbili Assembly for three consecutive terms since 2004. He was elected as Congress nominee in 2004 and 2009 and on YSR Congress ticket in 2014. However, he joined the TDP in 2016 and became minister in the Naidu cabinet.
Vyricherla Kishore Chandra Suryanarayana Deo of Kurupam dynasty was elected to the Lok Sabha for five times and Rajya Sabha once. He is considered a seasoned politician and statesman. He was Union Minister for Tribal Affairs & Panchayati Raj from 2011 to 2014. Kishore Chandra Deo joined the TDP recently and party is fielding him from Araku Parliament constituency.
Political legacy of the royal families from this region dates back to 1930 when Ravu Sethachalapati Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili royal family was elected from Vizagpatam constituency with a margin of 28,000 votes as Justice party candidate. Ranga Rao served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from Nov. 1932 to April 4, 1936 and again from August 24, 1396 to April 1, 1937. His personal secretary was C N Annadurai who later served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Vizianagaram royal scion PVG Raju had huge popularity among people and had won all the four elections to the Lok Sabha and five to the AP Legislative Assembly in which he contested from 1952 onwards.