Cuddapah, known for its factional politics and murderous elections all along, had gained nation-wide prominence recently when Congress president Sonia Gandhi was likely to contest from the constituency.

This is among the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh going to polls in the first round of elections on Sunday.

A resident of Cuddapah says the sitting MP Reddy did nothing for the development of the constituency in any manner. On the development plank he has nothing to offer.

More than anything, Cuddapah constituency is a must for the Congress to win as it reflect YS Rajasekhara Reddy's aspirations to become chief minister. For the first time his brother Vivekanada Reddy is contesting for a Parliament seat.

Of the seven assembly segments, Cuddapah, Proddutur, Jammalamadugu, Pulivendula, Kamalauram, Mydukur and Badvel, the Congress had won at three while TDP had four sitting members in the outgoing assembly.

TDP candidate Kandula Reddy, son of K Obbul Reddy who had represented the constituency for two terms in 1977 and 1980, had lost in 1996 with a wafer-thin margin of 5,400 votes.

In 1998 he lost the seat to Rajasekhara Reddy with a 48,000-vote margin.

However, TDP is confident of wresting the seat from the Congress as the latter's candidate is new to the constituency. TDP is also hopeful of cashing in on the infighting within the Congress in the district, kandula Reddy told The Financial Express.

Reddy banks on the development programmes his party has undertaken over the past four years. The Congress, however, terms these development programmes as marginal to the constituency. It is now promising to implement free power supply to farmers and weaker section, if voted to power, as a counter measure.

In a clear absence of waves, poll campaign in the constituency is lacklustre without any colourful banners, posters, flags or slogans. Despite having seat-sharing with BJP, TDP is keeping away the partner from its campaign fearing loss of minority vote. Minority votes will be a deciding factor in the constituency, which has a 25 per cent Christian population.