Gottipati Ravi Kumar is an younger generation politician from Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh. He was entered into active politics in 2004 and won from Martur Assembly Constituency for the first time. Ravi Kumar defeated Gottipati Narasaiah, who is Ravi Kumar’s cousin. Gottipati family has strong hold on Martur constituency for a long time. Late Gottipati Hanumantha Rao and Karanam Balarama Krishna Murthy had been rivals and run group politics in the constituency for more than two decades. After the death of Gottipati Hanumantha Rao, both the groups seems united and adjusted themselves in the Telugu Desam Party.
The family feud in the Gottipati family led Ravi Kumar to contest and won against Gottipati Narasaiah (Son of Gottipati Hanumantha Rao) in 2004 elections from Martur Constituency. With the disappearance of Martur Constituency after delimitation of Constituencies in 2009, Ravi Kumar contested from Addanki Assembly Constituency and defeated politbureau member of Telugu Desam Party, Karanam Balarama Krishna Murthy. The dissidence group of the TDP led by B.C. Garataiah, then sitting MLA of Addanki Constituency split the TDP votes to a greater extent resulting in defeat of the TDP in 2009 elections.
Gottipati Ravi Kumar is known as Bujji for his followers and fans. He has close relations with Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He kept himself away from ‘Odarpu Yatra’ of YS Jagan Reddy after counseling by Congress High Command at New Delhi. He is maintaining some distance with Jagan’s group for a while. Following is the brief profile of Ravi Kumar:
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