M.V.V. Satyanarayana will face a drubbing in the coming elections, predicts Vamsi Krishna Yadav

Long-time political rival-turned-ally Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu calls on the JSP leader, invites him to Nara Lokesh’s ‘Sankharavam’ rally

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader M.V.V. Satyanarayana will face a resounding defeat in the forthcoming elections, Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader and Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav declared here on Thursday.

Mr. Satyanarayana, who is the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Visakhapatnam, has reportedly been instructed by the YSRCP to contest the coming Assembly elections from Visakhapatnam East constituency in order to bolster the ruling party’s chances of victory in what has traditionally been a TDP stronghold.

Mr. Vamsi Krishna, who himself was a prominent leader of the YSRCP until not too long ago, had switched over to the JSP in December last year and joined the JSP. He had then vowed to ensure the defeat of the YSRCP in the coming elections.

Addressing a press conference outside his residence on Thursday (February 15) with TDP leader and Visakhapatnam East MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu next to him, the JSP leader accused Mr. Satyanarayana of indulging in rampant land-grabbing and urged people not to vote for him.

“Mr. Ramakrishna Babu and I are drawing up an action plan to defeat Mr. Satyanarayana by a huge margin in the coming elections,” Mr. Vamsi Krishna said.

Earlier, Mr. Ramakrishna Babu called on Mr. Vamsi Krishna at the latter’s residence and invited him to attend the ‘Sankharavam’ public meeting of TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh, which is scheduled to be held on Sunday (February 18).

This was the first time that the two long-time political rivals, who had contested against each other for nearly 15 years, came together to address the media.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Vamsi Krishna said that there was never any personal animosity between him and Mr. Ramakrishna Babu, only political rivalry. “I will attend Mr. Lokesh’s Sankharavam rally along with a large number of JSP supporters and ensure that it is a grand success,” Mr. Vamsi Krishna said.

He also slammed Mr. Satyanarayana’s comments against him, saying that the YSRCP MP has no values and people were aware that he has done nothing for Visakhapatnam in the last five years as an MP.

Mr. Ramakrishna Babu said that though he and Mr. Vamsi Krishna were political rivals for a long time, they still maintained cordial relations with each other. “Once the TDP-JSP combine comes to power, we will ensure that all the YSRCP leaders who have been involved in land grabbing will be brought to book,” the TDP leader said.