‘Rajus’ to cross swords in Vizag North

With the BJP confirming the candidature of P Vishnukumar Raju for the Visakhapatnam North constituency seat, the stage is set for a ‘royal’ battle in the constituency. The name of Vishnukumar Raju was figured in the list of MLA candidates announced by the saffron party on Wednesday.

In the wake of the resignation of sitting MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao – of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) – on the steel plant privatisation issue, the seat is now vacant, with the resignation being accepted by by the Assembly speaker. The constituency has been allotted to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as a part of seat-sharing with the TDP and the Jana Sena.

Sure of getting the party ticket, Vishnukumar Raju got into the campaign mode immediately after the party sealed a deal with the TDP-JSP combine.

Vishnukumar Raju won the seat in the 2014 elections when the BJP, TDP and JSP worked together against the YSRCP. However, in the elections held in 2019, the BJP fought the polls alone and Vishnukumar Raju lost the seat. He was pushed to third place as Ganta Srinivasa Rao, of TDP, scraped through by defeating K K Raju of YSRCP by a thin margin of 1944 votes.

With the ruling Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) retaining K K Raju for the seat, he is now flexing his muscles to settle scores with Vishnukumar Raju, from BJP.

Ever since his defeat in the 2019 elections, KK Raju, a realtor, has been amongst people, touring the constituency extensively with a firm resolve to add the seat to the YSRCP kitty.

To give the ‘rajus’ a tough fight, V V Lakshminarayana, former joint director of CBI, will also be in the fray among others.

Lakshminarayana, who floated the Jai Bharat National Party recently, has announced his decision to contest for the Visakhapatnam North constituency seat. He unsuccessfully contested from the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 elections, on the JSP ticket.

Comprising posh areas like Seethammadhara, North Extension, Doctors Colony, Pandurangapuram, and East Point Colony, the Visakhapatnam North constituency is a key segment in the reorganised Vizag district. Issues like rail zone delay, denial of special status for Andhra Pradesh, and steel plant privatisation are likely to have an impact on the BJP poll prospects, while the anti-incumbency factor worries the ruling YSRCP.

Read also: Big fight on the cards in Anakapalle

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu.