The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) is keen on turning the TDP’s vote bank in its favour at the hustings ahead of the by-election to the Badvel (SC) Assembly constituency.
With the TDP opting out of the race on compassionate grounds, the BJP-Jana Sena combine entered the fray citing its opposition to family politics.
BJP State president Somu Veerraju, Andhra Pradesh co-incharge Sunil Deodhar, vice-president C. Adinarayana Reddy are already in a campaign mode in support of the party candidate Panathala Suresh.
Having left with no other option, a part of the TDP’s second-rung leadership is learnt to be moving towards the BJP.
“The TDP has ditched its cadre by not contesting. The party leaders who will not vote for the YSRCP are naturally moving towards us,” said Mr. Veerraju, who also accused the YSRCP of offering plum posts to lure the ‘influential’ TDP leaders to its side.
The cadre is visibly buoyed after the visit of Union Minister of Fisheries L. Murugan to the constituency on Saturday.
A number of youth leaders from Badvel and Porumamilla towns evinced interest towards joining the BJP.
Land grab allegations
On the other hand, a couple of instances of the ruling party supporters’ alleged involvement in land grab cases surfaced in the constituency, causing embarrassment to YSRCP leadership that is aiming at a landslide victory. As one of the victims of land grab attempting suicide, the BJP campaign managers were quick to project it among the voters.
