YSR Congress cadre bank on Sharmila Reddy, Vijayamma for campaigning
Visakhapatnam: While YSRC candidate for Bheemli Assembly seat, Karri Seetaram, is banking on the charisma of Y.S. Vijayalakshmi and her daughter Sharmila who are expected to take up canvassing in the segment shortly, TD candidate Ganta Srinivasa Rao already hit the dusty roads, a week back, for campaigning.
It’s a new constituency for Mr Srinivas Rao, who recently rejoined the TD. Mr Srinivas Rao earlier represented Anakapalle (2009) and Chodavaram (2004) as an MLA and Anakapalle (1999) as an MP.
Bheemili is the second municipality on Indian mainland, established way back in 1861. 150 years of its formation was celebrated in 2011. It comes under Vizag Parliamentary segment.
The YSRC cadre seem to be banking on Ms Vijayalakshmi for the party candidate’s win. Ms Vijayalakshmi is currently YSRC Lok Sabha candidate and is yet to begin campaigning in the region.
YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy nominated former Congress MLA, Karri Seetaram to contest from Bheemili in the eleventh hour.
Meanwhile, streets in Bheemili, Anandapuram and Padmanabham mandals are seen packed with the TD workers carrying party flags and campaign vehicles. The YSRC leaders, on the other hand, are inconspicuous by their absence in the constituency.
Mr Srinivas Rao is making every effort ever since TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu awarded him the ticket. He is touring no less than 20 villages a day, addressing dozens of meetings. In fact, he was one of the first persons to launch campaigning.
Besides YSRC candidate, Mr Srinivas Rao will also be pitted against independent TD rebel candidate Aneeta Sakuru, former director of MNC Kenexa Technologies.
Aneeta’s husband Raghuveer Sakuru, another aspirant of the Bheemili Assembly ticket, did groundwork in the constituency for 2 years, which has helped Aneeta in her campaign.
She had earlier vowed to defeat Ganta Srinivas Rao and with that sole aim she entered the fray. “Now that bifurcation is a reality, we have to strive for the development of the state. And to do that Naidu in AP and Modi at the Centre are the historic necessity,” Mr Srinivasa Rao said.
Residents in Bheemili are not at all getting pensions and other welfare schemes are not being implemented,” said Ganta Srinivasa Rao.
Population: 3,51, 832 Total voters: 2,69, 258, male 133921, female 135321
Total candidates in fray: 8 Prominent faces including Ganta Srinivasa Rao (TD), Karri Seetaram (YSRC), Chenna Das (Congress)
