Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal Lok Sabha constituency has the distinction of being the only constituency to elect two eminent leaders who occupied the top most posts in the country.
While Neelam Sanjiva Reddy became the President after his election in 1977, then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao was elected with a massive majority in 1991. Narasimha Rao, hailing from Karimnagar district of the present day Telangana state, became Prime Minister in June 1991 and since he had not contested the general elections that year, he had to enter Parliament to remain on the post.
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SPY Reddy, who won the seat twice for the Congress, contested 2014 elections as the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and defeated his nearest rival NM Farooq of the TDP by over one lakh votes. The Congress secured a mere 16,378 or 1.36 per cent of the total votes as it was hit hard by the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
After election on YSRCP ticket, SPY Reddy switched loyalty to the TDP. However, with the TDP denying him a ticket, he entered the fray as the candidate of Jana Sena of actor Pawan Kalyan. Among the key contestants, he is the only seasoned politician as the candidates of both YSRCP and TDP are first-timers in electoral politics. The ruling TDP has fielded Mandra Sivananda Reddy, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.
