'Devineni' in Krishna District Politics

8/30/2019 ‘Devineni’ in Krishna District Politics – S Swaroop Sirapangi's Posted on Aug 30, 2019 by S Swaroop Sirapangi ‘Devineni’ in Krishna District Politics ‘ D e v i n e n i ’ a s a s u r na m e r e l at e d t o p o l i t i c s h a s b e e n popular in Andhra Pradesh. Especially those who follow regular Andhra Pradesh politics may recollect that this surname related politicians primarily has a political association with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and that too from Krishna district. At present, Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao is a famous politician well recognised by the mainstream media and Andhra Pradesh political society. Now let me draw your a ention towards a few prominent politicians associated with the ‘Devineni’ surname. Devnineni Uma Maheswara Rao is a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader in the Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh. He started his formal political entry due to his biological brother Devineni Venkata Ramana’s death in the year 1999. Devineni Venkata Ramana in-turn started his political entry, as per some observation, with the blessed contact of his cousin Devineni Rajashekar (Nehru), since December 1994. In December 1994 election held to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. For the first time, Devineni Venkata Ramana won as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Devineni Venkata Ramana & Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao primarily represented Nandigama Assembly constituency to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. First Devineni Venkata Ramana and then upon his death Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao represented Nandigama Assembly constituency, in Krishna district. Moreover, mostly these two brothers’ were successful in ge ing elected from Nandigama Assembly constituency. Due to the Constituencies delimitation process, since 2009 onwards Nandigama Assembly constituency was reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) politicians’ to contest. As a result, Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao shifted his political focus to Mylavaram Assembly constituency in Krishna district. Since then, he has been associated with the Mylavaram Assembly constituency. At some level, the mainstream media in Krishna district level projected Devineni Venkata Ramana and later upon his death; Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao as potential symbols of development in the district. This projection was critiqued as a project manifested by Kamma media, towards the promotion of their own community politician’s like the present ones associated with the TDP. II Devineni Rajashekar started his direct political prospects through the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) since its launch by Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) in the year 1982. ‘Devineni’ is a surname. Also, this surname is mostly associated https://ssanthiswaroop.wordpress.com/2019/08/30/devineni-in-krishna-district-politics/ 1/4 8/30/2019 ‘Devineni’ in Krishna District Politics – S Swaroop Sirapangi's and recognised with the Kamma community. Kamma has been a predominant land owing community, primarily in the Krishna-Godavari basin region of Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Devineni Rajashekar, Devineni Venkataka Ramana and Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao all primarily belonged to Krishna district and in particular, had a primary political association with the TDP. TDP at some level was also recognised as a Kamma’s dominated political party. Krishna and Guntur districts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh region were widely recognised as the global caste capital for the Kamma community. In-fact, TDP’s founder NTR too had his primary origin in the Krishna district. Devineni Rajashekar and Devineni Venkata Ramana won as Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) during December 1994 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections. When TDP faced severe leadership crisis in August 1995 between Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s leadership and NTR’s leadership; Devineni Venkata Ramana stood side with Naidu, on the other had Devineni Rajashekar took the side of NTR. After NTR’s death, Devineni Rajashekar strongly sided with his widow Lakshmi Parvathi. He even contested to the 1996 Lok Sabha elections on behalf of NTR TDP led by Lakshmi Parvathi. During this election, election-related violence also occurred between Devineni Rajashekar and Devineni Venkata Rama sides. Thus, though both Devineni Venkata Ramana and Devineni Rajashekar, had family and extended family relation, and started a political career from TDP; after TDP split in August 1995, these two persons also acted as leaders of two different political parties’ leaders. As a result, even violence also occurred in the 1996 Lok Sabha election. Devineni Rajashekar faced severe political crisis after NTR’s death, and after witnessing lack of political patronage to Lakshmi Parvathi’s led NTR TDP, he even resigned to her party. At some other level, he even developed personality conflict and political crisis with the then Chief Minister and TDP President Naidu. As per some observations made by Devineni Rajashekar before his death, to a few media interviews, after NTR’s death and after disassociating with the Lakshmi Parvathi’s TDP, he wished to re-associate with Naidu’s led chief TDP. However, unfortunately, he failed to receive a proper positive response from Naidu. As a result, as a final resort, he opted to associate with the Indian National Congress (INC). After the 2004 election to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Devineni Rajashekar’s son Devineni Avinah’s political entry ensured, in a slow mode. After Dr Y S Rajashekar Reddy’s (YSR) death and his son Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s political ascendance; Devineni Rajashekar for some time appeared to have considered the political possibility to associate with the newly launch YSRCP, headed by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Devineni Avinash even contested unsuccessfully to the Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency in 2014 election. https://ssanthiswaroop.wordpress.com/2019/08/30/devineni-in-krishna-district-politics/ 2/4 8/30/2019 ‘Devineni’ in Krishna District Politics – S Swaroop Sirapangi's After the 2004 election to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly; Devineni Rajashekar and Devineni Avinash re-associated with the TDP. This time, Naidu also accepted the political (re) entry of Devineni Rajashekar into TDP, along with his son Avinash. As per various informal media news circulated at that particular point in time, TDP leadership agreed at that particular point in time to offer Devineni Rajashekar – Member of Legislative Council (MLC) in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Also, to this son, Devineni Avinash TDP Youth wing position was promised. Unfortunately, after re-association with the TDP, Devineni Rajashekar passed away tragically. His son Deveineni Avinash is unable to prove his political success so far. Devineni Avinash unsuccessfully contested to the Gudivada Assembly constituency in 2019 election to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. III Devineni Rajashekar was also well associated with a famous caste atrocity case and incident. This conflict was related to Kamma-Kapu rivalry at Vijayawada city during 1970-1980 decade. This incident was primarily related to two Kamma and Kapu families. From Kamma caste, Devineni Rajashekar’s family was involved. Two of Devineni Rajashekar’s brothers were brutally murdered as part of this rivalry. On the other side, Vangaveethi Mohan Ranga was prominently involved from Kapu side. Vangaveethi Mohan Ranga also maintained the political association with the INC. While Devineni Rajashekar maintained the political association with the TDP; his staunch rival Vangaveethi Mohana Ranga maintained the same with the INC. Before maintaining this political association with INC and TDP, these two families and persons had another level of political engagements also at various levels. The political association of these two families and person’s underwent various levels of changes over the years. Devineni Rajasekar used to claim that he had huge admirers and followers in the Krishna district from one end to the other. In this regard, he used to claim that his admirers and followers were present from Jagaiahpet Assembly constituency to the Machilipatnam constituency, i.e., from starting of the district to the other end of the district. Devineni Rajashekar also served as Minister in the NTR’s led cabinet. Devineni Venkata Ramana served for a brief duration as Minister in the Naidu’s led State cabinet. Even, Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao also served as Minister in the Naidu’s led cabinet. While Devineni Rajashekar and Devineni Venkata Ramana served as Ministers in united Andhra Pradesh, before the formation of Telangana State in the year 2014; Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao served as Andhra Pradesh Minister under Naidu’s cabinet, after Telangana State formation. Thus, all these three politician’s rose to political prominence from Krishna district, after maintaining the political association with the TDP. Their caste and region played a prominent role in this whole process. https://ssanthiswaroop.wordpress.com/2019/08/30/devineni-in-krishna-district-politics/ 3/4 8/30/2019 ‘Devineni’ in Krishna District Politics – S Swaroop Sirapangi's It was also believed and highly reported at some level that Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao played a pivotal role in ensuring Devineni Rajashekar and his son Devineni Avinash’s re-association with the TDP under Naidu’s leadership after 2014. The possible role of Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao indicated that there has been – shared family affinity, extended family solidarity, political nexus, caste consciousness, occasional political rivalry, etc. factor’s operation within Devineni’s surname politicians, so far. These dynamics can be well observed if anyone rightly observes and analyzes the relations between Deveninei Rajashekar and Devineni Avinash on one die with Deveineni Venkata Ramana and Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao on the other side. 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