YSR Congress Party is facing a challenging dilemma regarding their strategy for the Hindupur constituency, a long-standing bastion of the Telugu Desam Party and its representative, Nandamuri Balakrishna. Balakrishna has secured two successive victories in the constituency, with his second win being particularly remarkable as he was the only TDP leader to increase his majority in Rayalaseema during the 2019 elections, despite a decline in overall support for Chandrababu Naidu.
In their attempts to unseat Balakrishna, YSR Congress Party fielded Naveen Nischal in 2014, which proved unsuccessful. In 2019, they introduced Iqbal, a minority candidate, as their contender against Balakrishna, but victory eluded them once again. To strengthen their position for the upcoming 2024 elections, Iqbal was made an MLC (Member of the Legislative Council), yet recent survey reports have not favored their efforts.
The latest change in strategy involves fielding Deepika, a woman from the backward classes (BC), to challenge Balakrishna in 2024. This appears to be a desperate attempt to overcome Balakrishna’s popularity in the constituency, where the TDP has emerged victorious in all ten elections. Notably, Nandamuri Taraka Ramarao, Balakrishna’s father, secured three wins in this constituency, while Harikrishna, Balakrishna’s brother, also emerged victorious.
Despite YSR Congress Party’s persistent efforts, early surveys suggest that Balakrishna remains strongly positioned for a third consecutive victory. While the YSR Congress Party aims to capitalize on BC and women’s sentiment to break the TDP’s hold on Hindupur, Balakrishna’s consistent support in the constituency poses a significant challenge to their aspirations.