VIZIANAGARAM: With the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections just months away, the TDP high command has embarked on an exercise to identify candidates, who have good potential to compete against the YSRC for the Vizianagaram Lok Sabha seat.
TDP’s top brass has begun a meticulous assessment of factors such as candidate popularity, goodwill, social and financial strength of the leaders, who are aspiring for the Vizianagaram Lok Sabha ticket.
Vizianagaram is the only constituency in the district with seven Assembly segments, including Etcherla and Rajam from the erstwhile Srikakulam district.
Botcha Jhansi, who was a part of the Congress at the time, became the first Lok Sabha MP from Vizianagaram in 2009 after it was carved out of Bobbili Lok Sabha segment in 2008 by the Delimitation Commission of India.
Later, TDP’s Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju won the Vizianagaram Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and worked as the Union Civil Aviation Minister when the party was in an alliance with the NDA. However, in 2019, Ashok Gajapathi lost to YSRC’s Bellana Chandra Sekhar.
It has been learnt that the ruling YSRC is mulling over allotting the Vizianagaram Lok Sabha ticket either to sitting MP Bellana Chandra Sekhar or Majji Srinivasarao (Chinna Seenu), who hails from the Kapu community.
Similarly, the TDP is also looking for a strong contender from the Kapu community and hence reportedly considering to give the ticket to Kadagala Anand Kumar.
Other suitable candidates that could likely get the ticket are Ashok Gajapathi or his daughter Aditi Gajapathi Raju.
Renowned among realtors, Anand Kumar has a strong political background. Known for his social and charitable activities in the district, he has also been operating several educational institutions and a software company.
Another candidate who the TDP is considering is Kandi Chandra Sekhar, a senior leader from Denkada mandal. He also belongs to the Kapu community and has a real estate background.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior leader from Nellimarla said, “The people of Vizianagaram are fed up with the ruling YSRC and the inability of sitting MP Bellana Chandra Sekhar. The TDP high command should make good decisions in selecting a strong candidate for the segment. Besides Ashok Gajapathi Raju, the TDP is also contemplating on giving the ticket to Anand Kumar.”