in-battleground-tirupati-development-dominates-over-faith

The holy town of Tirupati, nestled in the Tirumala Hills of Andhra Pradesh, is more than just a spiritual haven – it's a battleground for political forces vying to secure the prized Tirupati Parliamentary seat. With the 2024 general elections polling just a few days away, the air is thick with the promises of development and the echoes of devotional hymns.

 

At the heart of this constituency lies the magnificent Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple, one of India's most revered and visited shrines. Almost all political campaigns in the region begin with the blessings of Lord Venkateshwara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, reflecting the deep-rooted religious sentiments of the locals.

 

The Larger Political Landscape

 

The battle for Tirupati is set against the backdrop of simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh on May 13, where all 25 parliamentary and 175 assembly seats are up for grabs. It's a close contest between the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and the coalition of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Jana Sena Party (JSP).

 

While the YSRCP faces anti-incumbency sentiments, particularly in urban areas, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy hopes to return to power riding on the popularity of the government's direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes. On the other hand, the 74-year-old TDP president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, is betting on the narrative that development has stalled under Jagan's leadership.

 

The Battle for Development

 

However, in this election, the narrative has taken an unexpected turn. Instead of religion dominating the discourse, the focus has shifted towards development, connectivity -air, rail and road, and infrastructure – a testament to the evolving priorities of the constituents.

 

Leading the charge for the YSR Congress Party on the Tirupati Parliament seat is Maddila Gurumoorthy, a 38-year-old physiotherapist-turned-politician, who stunned many by winning the Tirupati seat in a by-election in 2021. Gurumoorthy's campaign revolves around his record of developmental works, meticulously documented in a 165-page report card turned coffee table book titled “My Parliament Journey.”

 

 

A Veteran in the Fray

 

Contesting the YSRCP is the BJP nominee and the alliance’s common candidate, Varaprasad Rao Velagapalli, a renowned politician and a member of parliament from the Tirupati Parliamentary constituency during the 16th Lok Sabha. Velagapalli, who previously won the 2014 general election as a YSRCP candidate, is now the BJP-led alliance's candidate, attempting to evoke sentiments around the Ram Temple and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

 

 

However, the locals seem more swayed by the policies and programmes of Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy and the dedication to their local temples.

 

A loyal soldier

 

A small blue sticker with the chief minister’s mug shot is pasted on his blue iPhone Pro Max, indicating his loyalty. Gurumoorthy has been associated with the family of Raj Shekhar Reddy since his college days when he met the then-chief minister with requests to improve the health infrastructure in the Tirupati region.

 

Later, as a trained physiotherapist, he accompanied YS Jaganmohan Reddy during this 3648-kilometre padayatra ahead of the 2019 elections as his physiotherapist. Ever since, he has remained closely associated with the current chief minister, who fielded him from Tirupati in a by-poll in 2021 after the sudden demise of YSRCP MP Balli Durga Prasad Rao. This is his second election from the Tirupati Parliamentary seat.

 

Pulicat a priority concerm

 

Gurumoorthy says among the issues close to his heart is the problem of India's second largest lake, Pulicat, and the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary falling in his Parliamentary segment. Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish-water ecosystem in India after Chilka Lake in Odisha. It faces ecological collapse and has serious environmental impacts, destroying the livelihood of 50,000 fishermen as well as hundreds of thousands of people.

 

The consequences of deforestation and pollution at Pulicat Lake, India’s second-largest brackish water lagoon, are severe and far-reaching.

 

The over-exploitation, mismanagement, and influx of improperly treated industrial effluents from over 25 industries in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai have led to a dramatic deterioration in water quality. This is not just an environmental issue, but a crisis that affects hundreds of thousands of people.

 

A Constituency of Contrasts

 

The Tirupati Parliamentary segment comprises seven assembly constituencies, four of which are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs), reflecting the region's social composition. With a literacy rate of 62.72 per cent, the constituents are well-informed and pose challenging questions to the candidates.

 

Gurumoorthy's campaign has struck a chord with the predominantly Scheduled Caste and Backward Class voters, who see him as one of their own, fighting against the "rich feudal lords." His unassuming demeanour, evident in his lack of security and barricades, has endeared him to the common people and allowed easy access to him for one and all.

 

As the campaign trail winds through the narrow lanes and bustling markets of Tirupati, the choice for voters is clear: embrace the promise of development or succumb to the siren call of religion and rhetoric.

 

In this holy land, where tradition meets modernity, the outcome of the Tirupati Parliamentary seat will not only shape the political landscape but also define the future of this sacred town.

 

The conflict between those trying to hang on to tradition and conservative ideology and the numerous younger population being educated in this emerging educational hub is witnessing a clear distinction between those who want to be represented by a person with a modern and forward-looking vision versus one hanging on to traditional norms and values. 

 

The Congress, which once held sway over the state, now seems to lag in this gamut, its candidate perhaps even a step below those who prefer NOTA over individuals.