Once friends, Ganta and Muttamsetti now set to lock horns in Bheemili

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has finally confirmed the party ticket for Ganta Srinivasa Rao to contest from Bheemili. With Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao contesting for the same from Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), candidates from all parties for the Bheemili Assembly constituency seat have been finalized and Ganta and Muttamsetti are ready to fight it out.

Both candidates have quite the history between them. They were good friends in the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) which was floated by actor Chiranjeevi in 2008. When the party was merged with the Congress in 2011, they were in it (Congress) till 2014. The two later treaded the same path and switched loyalties to the TDP. However, they parted ways before the 2019 elections. While one had remained in the TDP, the other had embraced the YSRCP.

Interestingly, the two leaders – Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao and Ganta Srinivasa Rao – now face each other in the Bheemili battlefield.

After several twists and turns, the TDP finally confirmed the party ticket for Ganta Srinivasa Rao to contest from Bheemili. He was elected from the Vizag North constituency in 2019. However, he had to be moved to another place, as Vizag North has been allotted to the BJP as a part of seat-sharing in the 2024 elections. Though the party has asked him to contest from Cheepurupalli, he insisted on Bheemili and finally had his last laugh.

The supporters of Ganta have been in a celebration mode since the TDP announced the final list of candidates, including their leader. They fired crackers at Ganta’s residence, celebrating the occasion.

Hailing from the Prakasam district, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, made his political debut by joining the TDP in 1999. He was elected to the Anakapalle Lok Sabha constituency in the same year, and later to Chodavaram Assembly constituency in 2004. Being a close friend of the actor, Chiranjeevi, he joined the PRP – launched by the actor in 2008 – and successfully contested from Anakapalle in 2009. When the PRP was merged with the Congress, he had become a Minister during the tenure of Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was then the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Sensing the downfall of the Congress after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, he switched loyalties to the TDP and was elected from Bheemili. He, however, moved to Vizag North during the 2019 elections and coasted to victory, weathering the Jagan storm.

Meanwhile, the followers of Jana Sena leader, Panchakarla Sandeep, an aspirant, are up in arms against the candidature of Ganta Srinivasa Rao. They have vowed to defeat Ganta in the constituency.

The ruling YSRCP confirmed the seat for Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao long ago and, he is much ahead in campaigning. Popularly known as Avanti Srinivas, the YSRCP leader, who owns the Avanti educational institutions, started his political journey on a bright note by successfully contesting the Bheemili Assembly seat on the PRP ticket in 2009. In the 2014 elections, he sported the yellow ‘kanduva’ and won the Anakapalle Lok Sabha seat.

Seeing the wave in favour of YSRCP led by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, he left the TDP to join the Jagan party, and won with flying colours in the Bheemili Assembly constituency during the 2019 elections.

Interestingly, both Ganta and Muttamsetti never faced a defeat in any election so far and now, it is inevitable for one of the two to meet the waterloo. It will be interesting to see the seat fight between them for the Bheemili constituency in the upcoming elections.

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu.