VIZIANAGARAM: Governments have come and gone, and new leaders have emerged promising people the moon but the fate of the people in all Assembly segments of the newly-formed Vizianagaram Lok Sabha constituency has remained the same.
Minimum infrastructure like proper roads, streetlighting, drinking water and a safe passage at the railway gates is all what people of the constituency have been clamouring for.
But, both the TDP and Congress have equally failed to address the problems and fulfil their aspirations. There are three municipalities in the constituency __ Rajam, Bobbili and Vizianagaram _ and all the three towns lack basic infrastructure worth the name. As for rural areas, the less said the better.
The Vizianagaram Lok sabha constituency was formed in place of Bobbili after the delimitation.
In the previous eight Lok Sabha elections, the TDP has won the Bobbili seat five times and the Congress thrice.
The constituency (Bobbili) had elected many stalwarts to speak its voice in Parliament: P Ananad Gajapati Raju (TDP, 1984), K Rammohan Rao (TDP, 1989), P Anand Gajapati Raju (Cong, 1991), K Pyditalli Naidu (TDP, 1996), K Pyditalli Naidu (TDP, 1998), B Satyanarayana (Cong, 1999), K Pyditalli Naidu (TDP, 2004) and B Jhansi Lakshmi (Cong, 2006 in byelection).
This time, the Congress has renominated Jhansi Lakhsmi while the TDP is fielding KA Naidu, son of former MP Kondapalli Pyditalli Naidu. The PRP is fielding Kala Venkata Rao’s brother and former MLA Kimidi Ganapathi Rao. Though, there are six other contestants in the fray including those of the BJP, BSP and Lok Satta, the contest would be mainly triangular among Jhansi, Ganapathi and Naidu.
Botsa Satyanarayana has emerged as a strong and unrivalled leader in Vizianagaram district for the Congress. His clout became clear when he could impress upon the party leadership to deny ticket to veteran leader and DCC president Penmatsa Sambasiva Raju.
He also succeeded in getting party tickets to several of his family members. This has made several Congress leaders and cadre sore. People in the constituency have turned hostile to Jhansi who was elected in the 2006 byelection with a wafer-thin majority of 177 votes.
TDP’s KA Naidu, who tasted defeat in the 2006 byelection at the hands of Jhansi Lakshmi, is not taking things easily this time and is marshalling all his and his party’s resources to win the election.
Last time, according to the party sources, the TDP leaders who were relatives of the Botsa family allegedly worked against Naidu. Sympathy factor, coupled with Junior NTR’s successful tour and people’s opposition to the Congress candidate, may help KA Naidu this time.
PRP’s Kimidi Ganapathi Rao, as an individual, has good contacts with mandal and village level leaders in all parties. With a strong community background, clean image and ample resources, Ganapathi Rao successfully stemmed all the dissidence in the party and is conducting the campaigning vigorously.
The biggest problem the people face is lack of rail overbridges in the constituency. There is a demand for a bridge on Nagavali river between the villages of Lumbesu and Poornapadu to connect 15 villages covering 6,000 tribal voters.
As there is no road connectivity to these villages the villagers are forced to cross the Nagavali to reach their destination.
The foundation stone for the bridge was laid by Minister for Forests S Vijayarama Raju in 2006 but the work was not taken up.
Another burning problem was that of the Nellimarla jute workers who are financially crippled having been on strike for eight long months.
As the Left-dominated trade unions hold a vice-like grip on mill workers, Congress leaders are not coming forward to settle the problem.
With their problems remaining unattended and unresolved, the voters, this time, appear to be in a mood to find an alternative to the Congress and the TDP.
The constituency has seven Assembly segments, of which five _ Bobbili, Gajapathinagaram, Vizianagaram, Nellimarla and Chipurupalli _ fall in Vizianagaram district Vizianagaram district and two _ Rajam (SC) and Etcherla (SC) _ in Srikakulam district.
