Srikakulam Lok Sabha Seat 2024: Andhra Constituency Fight A Legacy Battle For TDP's KRM Naidu
Srikakulam Lok Sabha seat holds special significance for TDP's KRM Naidu as this was his father's Bastion before him. He will aim to retain it for a third straight term.
As the Lok Sabha elections come closer, sitting MLAs are gearing up to secure their seats while Opposition candidates are looking for a chink in the armour of incumbent representatives from the respective constituencies. Hence, it becomes important to look at the individual constituencies, especially those that hold strategic importance or are linked to the prestige of parties and candidates.
One such constituency is Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam, currently held by TDP's national general secretary Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu.
Spread across 5,837 square kilometres, Srikakulam district is situated in the northeastern part of Andhra Pradesh. The constituency comes under the Srikakulam district. The Nagaveli river flows through Srikakulam. The district is bordered by Odisha on the north and the Bay of Bengal in the west. Vizianagaram and Parvathipuram Manyam border it on the south and west.
As per the last Census conducted in 2011, the population of tribal-dominated Srikakulam is over 27 lakhs. The predominantly Hindu district has seven assembly segments and one more from the Vizianagaram Lok Sabha constituency.
KRM Naidu's Fight For Father's Legacy
The Srikakulam Lok Sabha seat is currently represented by TDP's Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. He is the leader of TDP in Lok Sabha. KRM Naidu is the son of former Union Minister Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu. KY Naidu was defeated by the Congress's Killi Krupa Rani in 2009. However, KRM Naidu won back his father's seat in the 2014 general elections and was re-elected from the constituency in 2019.
Srikakulam's significance is realised in that it earlier sent an MP to the Union Cabinet; now, his son is the party's leader in Lok Sabha.
Former Members of Parliament
Before KRM Naidu, the seat was held by Congress's Killi Krupa Rani, TDP's Yerrannaidu Kinjarapu, Congress's Vishwanatham Kanithi, TDP's Appayyadora Hanumantu, Congress's Boddepalli Rajagopala Rao, and Swatantra Party's Gouthu Latchanna.
A History Tied To Kalinga Empire
Srikakulam was among the most significant areas of the Kalinga empire, which housed the capitals of the Kalinga empire. The region was ruled over by several dynasties, including Kalinga, Gajapathi, and Chalukyas of Vengi. Srikakulam was also part of the Vijayanagara and Kakatiya empires.
The territory was taken over by the Nizams and was their revenue capital from 1707-1753. In 1753, the region was handed over to the French, who held it for around three years, till the 1756 Anglo-French War that went on till 1763 in India and North America. The British held on to the region till independence.
In 1948, there were calls from several quarters to make the region a separate state, but the Srikakulam district was eventually carved out on August 15, 1950. The town of Srikakulam was designated as the district's headquarters.
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