Politicos launch campaign in style

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Jan 3, 2014: Politicians who want to switchover parties and to new assembly constituencies in the district have found an opportunity in New Year and Sankranthi. To introduce themselves in the new constituencies where they wish to contest from in 2014 polls, they have started their campaign with New Year and Sankranthi wishes by using banners, flexis and pamphlets.

They have started this campaign clearly 4 months ahead of the general polls. For the residents of Vizag North constituency Pendurthy MLA Panchakarla Ramesh is a new face. Ramesh Babu, who contested and won on PRP ticket for the first time in 2009, is now in Congress after the party’s merger with the later. Now it is reliably learnt that, he would be switching over to either TD or YSRC very soon along with ports and infrastructure minister, Ganta Srinivasa Rao. Not only he wants to shift his loyalties but also change the constituency to contest in 2014 polls.

Residents of Gopalapatnam, Simhachalam and surrounding areas were surprised to see the New Year and Sankanthi wishes of the MLA in flexis with his life size photos greeting them since Jan 1. They opined that Ramesh Babu is preparing ground to contest from Vizag North and to introduce himself to the new voters. Interestingly the flexis and cut outs carried neither Congress nor any other party name since Ramesh Babu is yet to decide which party to join.

Similar is the case with many YSRC ticket aspirants. Since there are many contenders from YSRC for a single seat, they have started their individual campaign as part of nurturing the constituency though party leadership didn’t decide the candidates.