Andhra assembly polls: Sitting TDP MLA did nothing, says YSRCP Vijayawada East candidate Devineni Avinash

Avinash, who is bidding to wrest the Vijayawada East constituency from the TDP MLA, who is eyeing a second term in the Assembly from the seat, told ANI on Thursday, "The YSRCP government carried out development work in the Vijayawada East constituency, pumping in Rs 674 crores. However, the previous TDP regime in the state left a vast portion of this constituency undeveloped. Even though I lost the last elections, I did a lot of development work here with the support of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. However, the sitting MLA and my opponent Gadde Rammohan Rao did nothing for this constituency over the last five years. Yet again, ahead of the assembly elections, Chandrababu Naidu is spouting lies all over again to deceive the people."

Avinash, who has set sights on victory this time from the East constituency, was previously with the Telugu Desham Party (TDP). However, he switched over to the ruling YSRCP in the presence of CM and party chief Jagan in November 2019.

However, that was before he contested the 2019 assembly elections from the Gudivala constituency on a TDP ticket but lost to YSRCP candidate Kodali Nani.

Avinash comes from a political family, with his father Devineni Rajasekhar (Nehru) a senior politician with stints in both the TDP and the Congress. A five-time former TDP MLA, Rajasekhar was also elected a Congress member from the Kankipadu assembly constituency.

Polling for the Lok Sabha and the assembly in Andhra Pradesh is to be held simultaneously on May 13, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4.

Andhra Pradesh has 175 Assembly constituencies, while also accounting for 25 members in the Lok Sabha. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the YSRCP won with a thumping majority with 151 seats, while the TDP crashed to a numbing loss, with its rally reduced to 23.

In the Lok Sabha polls the same year, the YSRCP won 22 seats while the TDP could only bag three. (ANI)