Can TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu withhold his home constituency Kuppam in the 2024 general elections?
This is the big question doing rounds in the state with the TDP facing a humiliating defeat in the Gram Panchayat elections in his home constituency.
The TDP supporters have won just 14 Gram Panchayats, while the ruling YSR Congress supporters had wrest 73 Gram Panchayats, leaving one Gram Panchayat to an independent.
The results of the Gram Panchayat show poor performance by the TDP, which has been the bastion of the party chief for the past three decades.
Chandrababu Naidu had been winning the Kuppam seat since 1989 elections. In fact, after he became the chief minister in 1995, he never campaigned in the constituency and still won the seat.
The YSR Congress had set all its strength in Kuppam even before the 2019 general elections.
The YSR Congress fielded retired IAS officer K Chandramouli against Chandrababu Naidu.
The continued efforts by the Jagan team had succeeded in making inroads into Chandrababu Naidu’s vote base.
It is for this reason, Chandrababu Naidu’s majority in 2019 had come down to 30,722 votes against 48,000 votes in 2014.
Chandrababu Naidu who secured 62.5 per cent votes in 2014 was limited to 55.18 per cent in 2019 elections cutting 7.32 per cent votes.
The YSR Congress wants to see the defeat of Chandrababu Naidu in 2024 elections and if the present Gram Panchayat election is any indication, the TDP chief should shift his constituency or spend more time changing his strategy in Kuppam.
