Visakhapatnam: The Bheemili constituency was once a fortress of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The TDP has won six times from the constituency since 1983 and lost only once, to Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) candidate Muttamasetty Srinivasa Rao in 2009. However, with M Srinivasa Rao being nominated as the YSRC candidate this year, the Bheemili seat could see a fiercer contest.The margin in 2009 was just over 6,000 votes, owing to Kapus voting en mass for the Chiranjeevi-led PRP. In 2014, TDP candidate, Ganta Srinivasa Rao won with a 40,000 plus majority, as Kapus backed the TDP.In 2009, when Srinivas won, the Kapu voters, who numbered over 35,000 were backed by the Yadava voters to give PRP the edge. In 2009, the constituency was primarily rural, with a tiny urban population in the Madhurawada-Kommadi belt. The total number of voters was a little over 2,20,000.By 2014, the total number of voters had crossed the 2.5 lakh mark and now in 2019, the number of voters has crossed the three lakh mark. The Kapus and Yadavas together comprise 33% of the votebank now. However, in 2009, the number of other voters was only 1.65 lakh, while today, they number over 2 lakh.According to a senior TDP observer, although the YSRC candidate enjoys a large support base among Kapu and Yadava voters,Srinivasa Rao will have to deal with other BCs and urban voters, whose numbers have shot up tremendously over the last five years.Regarding TDP candidate, Sabbam Hari, observers stated that he would definitely give a strong fight and ensure that the YSRC candidate does not get easy votes. Either way, a win in Bheemili— the second largest constitutency in the state will be significant for all stakeholders.

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