On the last day for filing nominations for the Lok Sabha and AP Legislative Assembly elections on Saturday, two of the contestants both from major political parties, who filed their nominations for the Visakhapatnam Parliamentary constituency stressed on the need for electing a local person as MP to ensure better development of the city and the region. Anakapalle MP Sabbam Hari, who is now with the Jai Samaikyandhra Party of former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, said Visakhapatnam has a metropolitan character and many from outside the city and from other States have contributed for development of the city in all areas including politics. However, people were of the opinion that non-local leaders had not honoured their wishes, he said.
“I believe that this election will reflect the aspirations of the local people. After the State was divided, importance of Visakhapatnam has increased and since a local leader was necessary to speak for it, I have preferred to contest from Visakhapatnam though I am a sitting MP of Anakapalle”, he said.
“The local MPs over the last 10 years were only visiting the place and the newspapers would inform the visit of our local MP to the city, while people wanted their representative available to them all the time, which was a justifiable demand,” Mr. Hari, a former Mayor, said.
An industrialist and Congress candidate Bolisetty Satyanarayana (Satya) said he was not only a native of Visakhapatnam but also did not leave it. “I strongly believe that people would trust me because I am a local and I believe that no one else can do a better job than me”, Mr. Satya said. “My great grandfather was from Duvvada, I was born at the Ghosha hospital here, did not leave the place and is now living in MVP Colony. I have started an IT company here in 1999 and 2,000 people are employed here and abroad. Later I built a warehouse in the port and 3,000 people are earning their livelihood”, he said.
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