A sense of joy and loss grips Annamayya district

Annamayya district officially began functioning with Madanapalle as its headquarters from Thursday, heralding a significant administrative reshuffle, which, at the same time, left its former headquarters, Rayachoti, suffering from a sense of loss and uncertainty.

The reorganisation led to a major redrawing of Assembly constituency boundaries, triggering multiple reactions from a cross-section of public, political, and official circles.

Spanning over 7,951 sq km, the current Annamayya district caters to a population of around 16.9 lakh, with its concentrated rural profile and agriculture being the core economic backbone.

As per the present set-up, the district has three revenue divisions — Madanapalle, Rayachoti, and Piler — with 25 mandals. The reshuffle resulted in Rajampeta Assembly constituency moving back to Kadapa district, and Railway Kodur to Tirupati district. As a compensatory move, the Punganur Assembly constituency of Chittoor district has been transferred to Annamayya district.

The move brought cheer to the government officials, who termed it as Madanapalle’s true elevation, defending its infrastructure readiness and accessibility.

“Madanapalle offers better road connectivity, institutional capacity, and logistical support for district-level governance. This will translate into faster service delivery,” a senior revenue official said.

But in Rayachoti, the mood is different. Denizens of the town that witnessed a real estate boom between 2019-2025 now fear economic and administrative marginalisation.

“Losing the status of headquarters comes secondary, but what about our livelihoods, investments, and identity? Already, much investment was made in public infrastructure, including government offices and educational institutions,” said a local traders’ association leader.

Similarly, advocates, transporters, and small businesses worry about dwindling footfall.

The constituency realignments have further intensified political debate. While officials argue that the inclusion of Punganur restores geographical balance, political circles observe that the exit of Rajampeta, a politically significant segment, weakens Annamayya’s clout.

Meanwhile, with the long-pending demand of the people of Madanapalle for a district being solved, senior leaders and activists of the NDA parties are in a jubilant mood, coinciding with the New Year celebrations.

At the same time, the sudden development of ripping Rayachoti of its district headquarters status came as a big shock to Minister for Transport and Rayachoti MLA M. Ramprasad Reddy. His followers have a pathetic take that their leader’s outspoken attacks and fighting spirit against the YSRCP leaders, particularly former Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, were not taken into account by the party leadership.