Gandra Satyanarayana Rao, popularly known as Sathenna, is a well-known figure in the Bhupalpally constituency. Despite his popularity, he faced multiple challenges in his political career and was unable to win a seat in the Assembly until 2023. Sathenna had previously contested in the 2014 and 2018 elections but lost both times, giving the impression that he was always close to victory but never successful.
Sathenna began his political journey with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), but over the years, he has been associated with nearly all major political parties. In 2014, he contested for the Bhupalpally constituency under a BJP ticket, and in 2018, he ran as a candidate for the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB). During this period, he also aligned himself with the then-ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Eventually, Sathenna joined the Congress party when his old friend, Revanth Reddy, became the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president.
Despite facing setbacks in the previous elections, Sathenna, who is 59 years old and hails from Buddharam village under Ghanapuram mandal, maintained strong connections with the people of his constituency. This close relationship with the local community played a crucial role in his victory in the 2023 elections, where he defeated his long-time rival, Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy.
Now that he has won, Sathenna is focusing on improving the lives of the people in his constituency. He is working on enhancing road connectivity between the remote villages in the forest and the urban areas. Additionally, he is making efforts to bring Godavari waters to the district. Sathenna is also committed to providing better amenities for the tribal communities living in the remote corners of the district. Along with these initiatives, he has plans to promote industrial development in his constituency, aiming for overall progress and prosperity.
