VISAKHAPATNAM : Discontent seems to be brewing in the State BJP regarding the recent allotment of Lok Sabha seats. The dissatisfaction was palpable during a recent party meeting held in Visakhapatnam, where BJP leaders voiced their grievances over the exclusion of candidates from BCs or the Kapu community in the allotment of the six MP seats assigned to the party. This discontent has emerged despite the BJP’s participation in a tripartite alliance with the TDP and JSP, where the BJP is slated to contest six out of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.
Leaders within the party, particularly those representing the BC communities, expressed dismay at the absence of representation for their communities among the nominated candidates.
They questioned the party seniors how it was possible that among the vast pool of BC or Kapu leaders in the State, not a single candidate was deemed suitable for any of the six seats. The discontent was particularly pronounced over the allotment of Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat, which they had hoped would be secured by the BJP as part of alliance.
Several BJP leaders submitted a letter to the district BJP president M Ravindra, addressed to the national president JP Nadda, demanding the reconsideration of Visakhapatnam MP seat for the BJP, and proposing GVL Narasimha Rao as the candidate. Alternatively, if this is not feasible, they requested the central leadership to permit friendly competition with the TDP on behalf of the BJP, despite the existing alliance.
They highlighted the historical contributions of BJP leaders from Visakhapatnam, underscoring the deep-rooted support the party enjoys in the region, both with and without alliance.
They specifically cited instances where BJP candidates, such as NSN Reddy, Kambhampati Haribabu, Bhattam Srirama Murthy, P Vishnukumar Raju, and PVN Madhav, had represented the party in various capacities. Moreover, they emphasised the consistent efforts of GVL in fostering the development of Visakhapatnam over the past three years, portraying him as a unifying figure accessible to people of all communities, religions, and castes in the region.
They raised concern about the damage caused to the Visakhapatnam BJP due to not getting the parliamentary seat, stating it hurt the feelings of party cadres. They highlighted the risk of votes floating to other parties without strong candidates in the election fray.
However, BJP district vice-president Ch Rambabu alleged that GVL was denied a ticket because of State party chief Daggubati Purandeswari’s influence, adding complexity to the situation.
They lamented the perceived damage inflicted upon the Visakhapatnam BJP by the decision not to allocate the parliamentary seat to the party, asserting that such actions have deeply wounded the sentiments of party workers and supporters.
In an earnest plea to salvage the party’s standing in Visakhapatnam, the letter beseeched the central leadership to rectify the situation by reclaiming the parliamentary seat allotted to the TDP in the alliance and nominating GVL as the BJP candidate.
It underscored the urgency of the matter, citing the risk of losing the substantial voter base cultivated through the tireless efforts of GVL.