Pithapuram: YSRCP’s Latest Strategy To Counter Pawan!

Pawan Kalyan won his first Assembly election from Pithapuram in 2024 with a record majority. Since then, he has focused heavily on strengthening the constituency, aiming to turn it into a personal bastion like Kuppam for Chandrababu Naidu or Pulivendula for Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Meanwhile, Jagan Mohan Reddy is reportedly keen on politically unsettling Pawan Kalyan. The YSR Congress is said to be exploring strategies to challenge him directly in Pithapuram in the coming years.

According to political circles, YSR Congress is planning to move Mudragada Padmanabham to Pithapuram to take on Pawan Kalyan at any cost. The Kapu-dominated constituency is seen as a key battleground for this strategy.

During the 2024 elections, Mudragada publicly vowed to defeat Pawan Kalyan or change his name. After Pawan Kalyan’s victory, Mudragada went ahead and changed his name, drawing widespread attention.

Mudragada did not contest directly in 2024, but YSR Congress now wants him to enter the fray formally. He is likely to be announced as the party in-charge for Pithapuram in the near future.

Mudragada last contested from Pithapuram in 2009 and lost. He later stayed away from active politics before resurfacing after 2014 with the Kapu reservation movement, which put pressure on the Chandrababu Naidu Government.

However, his silence on the Kapu issue after 2019 affected his political credibility. At the same time, Mudragada’s son Giri Babu is said to be eyeing the Prathipadu Assembly ticket.

Vanga Geetha, who lost to Pawan Kalyan in 2024, is considered soft in approach and has past links with the Mega family through Praja Rajyam. YSR Congress reportedly wants a more aggressive leader as in-charge.

Recently, Gudivada Amar visited Mudragada’s residence, fuelling speculation about discussions on this move. Around the same time, Vanga Geetha was inducted into the party’s PAC, seen locally as an alternative arrangement.

The key question now is whether a weakened Mudragada can challenge Pawan Kalyan effectively, relying mainly on caste equations, or whether the move could backfire politically for YSR Congress.