The CPI(M) will withdraw its candidate for the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency and support the Jai Samaikyandhra Party (JSP). In turn, the JSP will support the CPI(M) nominee for Gajuwaka Assembly constituency.
This was announced by JSP nominee for Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency Sabbam Hari in the presence of CPI(M) leader Ch. Narasinga Rao at a media conference here on Wednesday.
Mr. Narasinga Rao, who has filed his nominations for both the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha and Gajuwaka Assembly constituencies, will withdraw his nomination for the Lok Sabha seat.
The JSP-CPI(M) alliance in Seemandhra was cleared on Tuesday night.
The JSP would contest two of the three Lok Sabha seats and 11 out of 15 Assembly seats in Visakhapatnam district and the CPI(M) would contest the Araku Lok Sabha and Gajuwaka, Araku, and Paderu Assembly seats, Mr. Hari said.
Kiran roadshowFormer Chief Minster and JSP founder N. Kiran Kumar Reddy would campaign on behalf of the JSP and the CPI(M) nominees in Visakhapatnam on April 27. Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy had spared no efforts to keep the State united and the CPI(M) was only party that remained committed to the philosophy of unity of the State that was formed on linguistic basis.
Mr. Hari said that both the JSP and CPI(M) would hold campaigns, roadshows, and rallies jointly from Thursday. Joint posters would be released and CPI(M) State leader S. Punyavathi would participate in the joint election campaign from Gajuwaka.
On Bheemunipatnam Assembly seat, he said the candidature of JSP nominee Y. Vinod Kumar was rejected as he was two days short of the minimum stipulated age of 25 on the day of nomination. He said the JSP had decided to support Independent candidate K. Srinivasa Rao.
Mr. Narasinga Rao underlined the need for infrastructure development, roads, and energy for the growth of the city. He alleged that not even a single MGD water was augmented during the last 20 years and, if the situation continued, acute drinking water problems and industrial crisis could arise in future.
‘Local’ plankMr. Hari said people of Visakhapatnam were in favour of local candidates, and both the JSP and CPI(M) fielded local candidates.
“I and Mr. Narasinga Rao know Visakhapatnam and can strike a chord with people of all areas in the city and district unlike those who represented Visakhapatnam during the last 10 years or so,” he added.