Lok Sabha election 2019: YSRCP fields new face to retain Ongole seat in Andhra Pradesh

Ongole Lok Sabha constituency in Prakasam district Andhra Pradesh had been a Congress stronghold from where the party had won 11 times since 1952. It won the seat last in 2009.

Over the years, the TDP has also made gains here but it was the YSRCP which won the seat in 2014 when its candidate YV Subba Reddy defeated Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy of the TDP by 15,658 votes. Darisi Pavana Kumar of the Congress got only 13,357 votes.

Subba Reddy won’t be fighting the election this time. The YSRCP has nominated the man he beat in 2014 - Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy who joined the party recently, as its candidate. Sidda Raghava Rao, who was a minister in chief minister Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet until recently, is the TDP candidate from Ongole. For the Congress, SDJM Prasad will contest from the seat.

Ongole is largely a rural constituency. According to the 2011 census, out of total population of 2022411, 78.18% is rural and 21.82% is urban population. The Scheduled castes (SC) and Scheduled tribes (ST) ratio is 22.47 and 3.92, respectively out of total population.

Ongole Lok Sabha constituency in numbers:

Name of the Lok Sabha constituency: Ongole

Reservation nature of constituency: General

2019 candidates: Sidda Raghava Rao (TDP) , Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (YSRCP), Dr SDJM Prasad (Congress)

Sitting MP, Party: YV Subba Reddy, YSRCP

Winning margin in 2014: 15,658 votes

Runner up name, party: Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, TDP

Number of voters in 2014: 1,470,483

Percentage of votes polled in 2014: 82

Number of polling booths in 2014: 1707

Number of women voters: 734,238