Guntur West: Cold War Between TDP MLA & Mayor

Guntur West Assembly is considered a stronghold of the Telugu Desam Party. Regardless of which party forms the government in the state, the constituency has consistently remained with the TDP over the years.

Political observers often say that securing a TDP ticket from Guntur West almost guarantees victory. The constituency has shown strong loyalty to the party across multiple election cycles.

In 2014, Modugula Venugopal Reddy won the seat on a TDP ticket. In 2019, Maddali Giri retained the seat for TDP even during the YSR Congress wave, though he later defected to the YSR Congress.

The 2024 elections saw Galla Madhavi of TDP register a record majority from Guntur West. Her victory further reinforced the constituency’s reputation as a TDP bastion.

After the elections, the political landscape shifted when the Guntur Corporation Mayor from YSR Congress, Kaveti Manohar, resigned, and TDP Floor Leader Kovelamudi Ravindra emerged as a key figure. However, tensions soon surfaced between the MLA and the Mayor.

Following Maddali Giri’s defection after the 2019 polls, the TDP High Command appointed Kovelamudi Ravindra as the Guntur West in charge. Ravindra worked actively in the constituency, expecting the party ticket in the 2024 elections.

The decision to field Galla Madhavi instead came as a surprise and reportedly disappointed Ravindra. He initially believed her political inexperience would make the contest easy for him within party circles.

Madhavi remained low profile in the beginning but gradually consolidated her hold over the constituency. She began limiting the interference of other leaders, which escalated tensions between the two camps.

The rift widened further when the tenure of division presidents ended. The MLA replaced several leaders aligned with the Mayor and appointed her supporters, deepening the divide.

Differences also emerged over the proposal to merge eleven villages into the Guntur Corporation. This issue added fuel to the ongoing power struggle between the two leaders.

The internal conflict has now become a major talking point within TDP circles. Party supporters feel the High Command should step in early to prevent the situation from escalating further.