Absentee MLAs… this appears to be YSRCP’s biggest problem. Several party MLAs are staying far away from the constituency and are running the show with the help of proxies. Many MLAs stay in places such as Bengaluru, Chennai and even Hyderabad to take care of their businesses. The local proxies’ behavior is alienating the people away from the elected people’s representatives.

The problem is more acute in the Srikakulam district, where most MLAs have their houses in Vizag city. The MLAs are rarely visiting their constituencies. At least five MLAs are operating through their proxies in their constituencies. The MLAs come only to affix their signatures and leave the rest to their relatives, family members and close confidants.

In Etcherla constituency, the nephew of the MLA Gorla Ravikumar is running the show. He is controlling almost everything. Ditto with Palasa. The minister is away from the constituency, while his relatives are managing things. In Amadalavalasa, which is represented by Speaker Tammineni Sitaram, his son is running the show. In fact, the speaker is reportedly planning to hand over the baton to his son in the 2024 elections.

CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is said to have taken a serious view of this. In fact, one of the reasons why Chandrababu Naidu’s government became unpopular was because of the ‘shadow’ MLAs who ran the show in the absence of the elected MLA. He is reportedly planning to talk to the MLAs to focus on the constituencies and move among the people.