Industrialists and some top businessmen from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana who contested for Lok Sabha seats have had mixed fortunes, with Jaydev Galla of Amara Raja Batteries avoiding the fate of most of his party colleagues and winning from the Guntur Lok Sabha constituency and Nama Nageswara Rao emerging victorious from Khammam in Telangana.

Others such as Potluri Vara Prasad, an industrialist and well-known filmmaker who contested from the tough Vijayawada constituency on behalf of YSR Congress Party, lost to Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) of the Telugu Desam Party, who was into transport business till recently. The results of elections to both Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies, saw the YSR CP make a clean sweep across Andhra Pradesh,, however, saw Jaydev Galla of TDP making it. One of the richest parliamentarians, Galla entered Lok Sabha in 2014 on a TDP ticket. He played a key role in the party taking on BJP seeking Special Category Status and also was part of the no-confidence motion moved against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.

The results of both Guntur and Vijayawada constituencies, which witnessed close contests, were held back till late night as recount was done before final declaration.

Nama Nageswara Rao of the diversified infrastructure company Madhucon Projects, who was with TDP for more than two decades and represented it in the Lok Sabha in the past, had lost in 2014 and again in 2018 elections against the TRS, contesting for the State Assembly seat. He moved to TRS and contested the Lok Sabha polls and defeated senior Congress leader Renuka Chowdhary.

Significantly, SPY Reddy, founder of Nandi Group of Companies, known for his philanthropy, contested on the Jana Sena Party ticket from the Nandyal constituency. However, he passed away after the polling date where the YSR Party member P Brahmananda Reddy won.

In the Narsaraopet constituency of Andhra Pradesh, where BJP State chief Kanna Lakshmi Narayana contested, YSR CP candidate Lavu Sai Krishna Devarayalu trounced Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, a Congress veteran who later joined the TDP. Rayapati has several businesses and is engaged in infrastructure and trading businesses.

Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, an industrialist, and part of the Apollo Group family, who contested on a Congress ticket lost narrowly to the TRS candidate G Ranjith Reddy, an industrialist with diversified business interests, including poultry farming.

Konda was sitting MP, who was elected on a TRS ticket, but moved to the Congress before the State elections late last year.

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