Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA and actor turned politician Nadamuri Balakrishna secured a victory from Hindupur assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh for the third time in a row. He defeated YSR Congress Party’s (YSRCP) candidate Tippegowda Narayan Deepika, who hails from Kuruba (BC) caste. Balakrishna won with 1,07,250 votes defeating his opponent by a margin of 32,597 votes.
Balakrishna, the son of late actor and TDP founder NT Rama Rao (NTR) has represented Hindupur twice, in 2014 and 2019. He is also the brother-in-law of incumbent TDP president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who is poised to become the Chief Minister after the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP won the polls with a record number of seats.
TDP, which was formed in opposition to Congress for protecting atma-gowravam (self-respect) of Telugu people in 1982 has held on to Hindupur since 1983. NTR himself represented the constituency thrice: in 1985, 1989 and 1994. The constituency was also represented for three years between 1996 and 1999 by Balakrishna’s elder brother Nandamuri Harikrishna.
Hindupur, along with six other districts is a part of the Satya Sai district in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. Satya Sai broke off from Anantapur district in April 2022 when all the districts in the state were reorganised under the YSRCP led state government.
Hindupur has been a bastion of the TDP and has been considered synonymous with NTR. The NTR wave offers immense political capital. Out of the seven assembly segments which come under Hindupur Lok Sabha, TDP candidates won in Raptadu, Hindupur, Penukonda, Puttaparti and Kadiri.
In comparison to the 2019 assembly polls, Balakrishna has fared better this election. In 2019, YSRCP’s Shaik Mohammed Iqbal lost to Balakrishna by a mere 18,028 votes. In the 2024 polls, the margin increased with Balakrishna defeating Deepika by a margin of 32,597 votes.