Darsi in the Prakasam district is a Congress Strong-hold. TDP managed to win only five times in the ten elections that happened since its inception. Four of these wins came between 1983 and 1999.
TDP last won in 2014 when Sidda Raghava Rao steered to victory by just 1,574 votes.
Sidda contested for Parliament in 2019 and TDP’s Kadiri Babu Rao lost in Darsi by a margin of around 40,000 votes
After the elections, Sidda joined the YSR Congress.
In 2024, YSR Congress set aside the sitting MLA Madisetty Venugopal and gave a ticket to Senior leader Buchepalli Siva Prasad Reddy. YSR Congress looked comfortable here.
Initially, TDP thought of giving the seat to Janasena. Later, TDP kept it for itself.
Later, TDP considered names like YSR Congress MLA Maddisetty Venugopal and Sidda Raghava Rao as the candidates. But Sidda did not join.
Janasena incharge Venkat, an NRI also offered to contest on the TDP ticket.
At the last minute, TDP announced Gottipati Lakshmi as the candidate. She is a young woman, well-educated, and a doctor. She is a cousin of TDP’s Addanki MLA Gottipati Ravikumar.
Usually, when there is so much confusion over a candidate, there will be negative vibes all over the constituency.
But then, TDP has been on a high ever since Lakshmi began her campaign.
Lakshmi is likable and establishes a good connection with the masses. A fresh face, a young woman, soft-spoken, and well-educated – all these factors seem to be working like a deadly combination.
Recently, she got an over-whelming Press after she paused her campaign to perform a Cesarean Surgery for a woman who got critical. Lakshmi not only got so much of good media coverage but also won the hearts of the people.
Also, Darsi is said to be one of the costliest elections in Andhra Pradesh.
Political Parties say a minimum of 60 Crore is needed for the major parties. Lakshmi belongs to the reputed Harshini Colleges and so, there is no problem with money.
The mood in the district is Darsi will be among the first seats that TDP will win in the Prakasam district.
