In YSR family’s Kadapa fortress, Jagan sits pretty despite sister Sharmila, TDP’s bids to queer pitch

Sparse banana and lime plantations as well as drylands line most of the 70-km stretch from Kadapa to Pulivendla, when a sprawling sachivalayam (secretariat) and a medical college named after “son of the soil” late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy announce that one has entered Pulivendla, the home town of Chief Minister and YSRCP supremo Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The Pulivendla Assembly constituency in Kadapa district has been held by the family of former CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, Jagan’s father, for over 45 years. Its incumbent legislator Jagan holds a firm grip among its nearly 3 lakh voters. In 2019, he had defeated the TDP’s candidate by 90,110 votes.

“Why would we vote for someone else this time? What has changed this time that will lead us to change our almost 50-year-old loyalties? Jagan will win with an even greater majority than 2019,” says a local resident as he hands over a glass of sugarcane juice to his friend at a stall. Several people gathered there nod in agreement.

This time, Jagan will be up against M Ravindranath Reddy, known as BTech Ravi, of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The TDP had got 27% and 23% of the votes in the 2014 and 2019 Assembly elections, respectively. In contrast, Jagan’s vote share had increased to 73.5% in 2019 from 68.8% in 2014.

A little further from the European-style main road near the huge Mahatma Gandhi statue adjacent to a swanky bus stand and government school, a group of locals has gathered around the YSRCP workers, who are explaining Jagan’s welfare schemes. “Anna, maaku enduku cheptunnavu? Maa vote YSR ke (Brother, why are you telling us? Our vote is for YSR),” 35-year-old Swati tells one of the party workers.

The YSRCP, which was floated by Jagan in 2012 after he walked out of the Congress