LS elections: Unemployment, water crisis top election issues in Kurnool; in Tirupati polarisation and corruption wary ruling YSRCP

Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 12 : Kurnool Lok Sabha constituency, also known as the gateway to Rayalaseema, will go to the polls in the upcoming fourth phase of the 2024 general elections on Monday.
The city, which was declared the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh from October 1953 to October 1956, will witness a triangular contest between BY Ramaiah of the YSRCP, Nagaraju of TDP and PG Rampullaiah Yadav of the INDIA bloc.
Notably, Sanjeev Kumar of the YSRCP was the MP of Kurnool. He quit the party after being denied a ticket from Kurnool for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and was removed as YSRCP party in-charge of Kurnool constituency in January.
Kurnool comprises seven assembly segments. It is distinguished by its historical significance, with remnants of the Vijayanagar royal palaces making it a notable tourist destination.
The YSRCP and the TDP are the main parties in the constituency. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Dr Sanjeev Kumar from YSRCP won the seat with a margin of 149,067 votes.
According to the locals, the district is facing a severe water crisis and a shortage of drinking water. It is also lagging on the industrial front. Unemployment is a key problem. The migration of workers to major cities in the state and elsewhere in search of a livelihood is quite high.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that he is ready to stand with the poor to defeat the rich in the "Kurukshetra war" on May 13 at the mega public meeting in Yemmiganur village as part of his Memantha Siddham Yatra.
Tirupati, another Lok Sabha constituency in the state, is considered a Hindu pilgrimage site for the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, along with other historic temples, and is known as the "Spiritual Capital of Andhra Pradesh."
It comprises seven assembly segments and belongs to the Tirupati district.
Tirupati, which houses the largest urban local body (ULB) in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district, secured the 8th spot among the cleanest cities with a population of over 1 lakh in the Swachh Survekshan 2023 rankings.
Not just this, it has achieved a 5-star Garbage Free City (GFC) and water plus rating, establishing itself as the cleanest State capital in the nation, according to a press statement from the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
The seat will witness a contest between Maddila Gurumoorthy of the YSRCP, Vara Prasad Rao Velagapalli of the BJP and Chinta Mohan of the Indian National Congress.
YSRCP leader Varaprasad Rao Velagapalli joined the BJP in the presence of party General Secretary Vinod Tawde and Union Minister Anurag Thakur in March 2024.
Issues such as polarisation of backwards-class community votes, development and corruption have become major concerns for the ruling YSRCP in the holy city.
Koneti Adimulam, the finalised and announced MP candidate from Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency, refused to contest. Adimulam expressed his disgruntlement with the YSRCP. He has accused Minister Peddireddy Ram Chandra Reddy of deception.
Adimulam said, "I refuse the MP ticket offered by CM Jagan Reddy. I have taken the decision not to contest as the MP, as I have no interest in indulging in corruption and negative propaganda."
The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) organised an extensive public gathering at Taraka Rama Ground in Tirupati, where Congress leader Sachin Pilot announced that Andhra Pradesh would be granted special status once the Congress party assumes power at the Centre.
Balli Durga Prasad Rao of YSR Congress Party was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tirupati in 2019 general elections. He passed away in September 2020 after he was tested positive for COVID-19. He was succeeded by Maddila Gurumoorthy.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, YSRCP is contesting alone in all 25 parliamentary constituencies and the 175 seats of the state assembly. It is up against the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), former CM N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party (JSP).
As part of a seat-sharing deal among NDA partners, the TDP was allocated 144 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, while the BJP will contest from six Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly seats.
The voting in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will be held in a single phase on May 13 in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The polling is held in 17 seats in Telangana and 25 seats in Andhra. The assembly elections for 175 seats in the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly will also be held on the same date. The results will be announced on June 4.