The royal families which joined hands just before the 2019 elections tasted a bitter defeat in Vizianagaram where the YSRCP won all nine Assembly seats with a comfortable majority. The party also won the Vizianagaram Parliament seat with a decent majority.
Former Union Minister P.Ashok Gajapathi Raju of erstwhile Vizianagaram princely State, Minister for Mines Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili fort town, former Union Minister Kishore Chandra Deo and former Minister Satrucharla Vijayarama Raju of Kurupam royal family were united by TDP president N.Chandrababu Naidu.
In fact, there was no eye- to-eye contact among them due to continuation of historical rivalry and other differences. However, all of them agreed to bury their differences to get back their political glory. But the efforts could not ensure their victory.
Mr.Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who continued his winning streak since 1978, tasted defeat second time in Vizianagaram. In the 2004 election, he was defeated by independent candidate Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy. However, he won the seat in the 2009 election and contested successfully from the Vizianagaram Parliament seat in 2014 election. He was defeated by former ZP chairperson Bellana Chandrasekhar in the current election.
His daughter Aditi Gajapathi Raju was defeated by Mr. Veerabhadra Swamy in the Vizianagaram Assembly seat this time. Mr. Veerabhadra Swamy has contested on the YSRCP ticket this time and won the seat with a margin of 5,380 votes.
Mr.Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao, who has been winning the Bobbili constituency since 2004, has failed to retain the seat. YSRCP candidate Sambangi China Venkata Appala Naidu bagged the Bobbili seat with a margin of 8,384 votes.
Pushpa Vani retains seat
YSRCP sitting MLA Pamula Sri Pushpa Vani has retained the Kurupam seat with a comfortable margin of 24,965 votes by defeating Narsimha Priya Thatraj of Satrucharla family. Mr.Kishore Chandra Deo has also failed to ensure victory for himself in the Araku Parliament segment although he could get the TDP ticket within a few days of resigning from the Congress.
Former Minister Botcha Satyanarayana of the YSRCP has won the Cheepurupalli Assembly seat by defeating his nearest rival and TDP nominee Kimidi Nagarjuna, son of former Minister Kimidi Mrinalini who represented the seat since 2014.
The YSRCP also won Gajapathi Nagaram, Nellimarla, Sringavarapu Kota, Parvatipuram and Saluru Assembly segments.
In the 2014 election, the YSRCP won only Saluru, Kurupam and Bobbili seats. However, Mr.Sujay, who won on the YSRCP ticket from Bobbili, later aligned with the TDP and became a Minister in the Chandrababu Naidu government. However, he lost the political battle in his home town amidst a wave in favour of the YSRCP.
Similar to Kadapa district results, the TDP could not win a single seat in Vizianagaram district.
Speaking to the media, Mr.Botcha Satyanarayana said that people from all walks of life had lost faith in the Chandrababu Naidu government and believed that their lives would be in a better position if Mr.Jagan was voted to power.
