Campaign hots up in Nagari amid political twists

New-found unity among TDP may make fight tougher for sitting legislator Roja

Floral welcome: YSR Congress candidate K. Roja campaigning at Nagari in Chittoor district on Thursday.

With just a few days left for the election campaigning to close, the candidates of main parties have intensified canvassing in the Nagari Assembly constituency. The campaign assumed significance in the wake of some political twists witnessed in recent days.

Sitting MLA (YSR Congress Party) R.K. Roja on Thursday launched a whirlwind campaign in Nagari and Puttur municipalities, seeking votes by focussing on the party’s Navaratnalu scheme. Finding that people in some pockets were questioning her inaccessibility and her silence on perennial water problem in the constituency, the YSRCP MLA took a stand saying that true development of the area would be possible only when party president Jagan Mohan Reddy was made the chief minister. Claiming that she had provided safe drinking water to government schools and fans and other important equipment to the government hospitals in the constituency with her own funds, Roja said she would bring unprecedented development to Nagari if Mr.Jagan Mohan Reddy became the chief minister.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s public meeting in Puttur on Tuesday, which brought huge crowds from all over the constituency, has become a cause of concern for the Opposition party. The new-found unity among the TDP cadres is likely to make the fight tougher for Ms.Roja. Though TDP local leader and educationist Ashok Raju had earlier decided to quit the party, after being denied the party ticket, he later changed his mind and chose to work for party candidate Mr.Bhanu Prakash, following the reported assurance of Mr.Naidu that he would made an MLC.

Father’s legacy

TDP candidate Gali Bhanu Prakash, who campaigned in Vadamalapeta and Puttur mandals on Thursday, recalled the legacy of his father the late Gali Muddukrishna Naidu, and attempted to project his local credentials versus ‘a non-local opponent’. He tried to impress upon the voters that he would make himself available to the public and address their problems.

Meanwhile, the BJP candidate Ms. Nishida Raju, an active functionary in the BJP Mahila Morcha and from the Kshatriya community, is relying on 25,000-strong community vote bank in the constituency. The denial of TDP ticket to Mr.Ashok Raju has brought some disappointment among the community.

BSP chief Mayawati's public meeting at Tirupati on Thursday came as a boost to the party candidate Pravalika.