Nandamuri Balakrishna, a popular mass hero in Tollywood, recently achieved a hat-trick of successes in movies with “Akhanda,” “Veerasimha Reddy,” and “Bhagawant Kesari.” Similarly, there’s a possibility that he may replicate this success streak in politics. He has been elected as MLA consecutively in 2014 and 2019 from Hindupur, which has been a stronghold for TDP since its inception.
Despite TDP losing power, Balakrishna retained Hindupur in 2019 with an increased majority compared to 2014. YS Jagan has been striving to defeat NBK in Hindupur, albeit with futile attempts. YSRCP changed its candidate thrice to counter Balakrishna since 2014, with Jagan assigning responsibility to Peddyreddy for YSRCP’s victory.
YS Jagan has employed various social engineering strategies in Hindupur, where the Kuaraba, Valmiki, and Muslim communities hold dominance. In the upcoming elections, YSRCP has fielded Deepika as the candidate from the Kuraba community. A recent survey on Hindupur indicated that Balakrishna received over 67% of the votes, while his closest rival, YSRCP nominee Deepika, garnered 29%.
One of YSRCP’s main drawbacks in this segment is the lack of coordination among its leaders and cadre, who haven’t fully supported Deepika’s candidacy, providing an added advantage to TDP. Balakrishna’s popularity in Hindupur stems from his dedicated service to the segment, utilizing the TDP governance between 2014 and 2019 for its development.
During his first tenure, Balakrishna addressed critical issues such as the drinking water crisis, successfully solving the problem. His efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, including distributing medical kits to numerous families in the segment, were widely appreciated. Even YSRCP supporters benefited from his medical aid initiatives.
Balakrishna also initiated the establishment of dialysis centers in various locations in Hindupur, alleviating the need for residents to travel to Bengaluru for expensive treatments. Additionally, he proposed the formation of a ring road for Hindupur’s development.
According to the survey, Nandamuri Balakrishna is poised to be elected to the AP assembly for the third time, with a significant 15% margin of victory over his nearest rival in the 2024 elections.
