Nellore Lok Sabha constituency: Troubled waters for YSRCP despite past wins

Nellore is one of 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh which is located in the Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore district of the state.

The Nellore district mainly has an agricultural economy but also has a flourishing handloom, small-crafts and fisheries industry.

The constituency was a Congress powerhouse in years gone by although in recent times, the party has been confined to the distant sidelines. Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, a former member of Congress, led YSRCP to victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. There have been reports, however, that Rajamohan and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy have had a fallout of sorts which fueled speculation that Rajamohan could quit the party. That would be a major shot in the arm for TDP, a party that has seen political defections aplenty.

TDP's Adala Prabhakara Reddy finished second in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and the party would now be hoping for a more favourable result.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the voter turnout in the Nellore constituency was 74.02 per cent, a little less than the overall voter turnout of 74.47 per cent in the state.