'Local factor' to decide Vizag MP !

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, March 27, 2014: It looks like leaders are trying to rake up ‘local candidates’ sentiment in the ensuing polls for assembly and loksabha. The sentiment is likely to have its impact on the polls this time around. The ‘local’ feeling among the voters was evident when the PRP candidate in 2009 polls, Palla  Srinivas, a native of Vizag, could secure more than 3 lakh votes. He stood second pushing the strong TD candidate, MVVS Murthy to third.

He lost to the Congress candidate, D Purandheswari, with very little margin of 60,000 votes. It was the feeling ‘local’ that ensured Srinivas, a political novice, get so many votes in lakhs.

TD leader, MVVS Murthy who won Vizag loksabha seat many times earlier too is considered an outsider, who settled in Vizag. Later, Congress MPs, N Janardhan Reddy and D Purandheswari have only come to Vizag just a month before the polls, after their candidatures were announced by Congress party central leadership.  Purandheswari used to prefer visiting Vizag only on the weekends that too not often.

 There were also posters surfaced at various parts of the city, cautioning, all the political party bosses only to field local candidates otherwise vowed to defeat outsiders. Though nobody knows from where these posters originated, the ‘local’ issue has become a talk of the town, especially after the reports emerged YSRC chief, YS Jaganmohan Reddy is contemplating to field either, his uncle YV Subba Reddy or sister Sharmila, both outsiders from Vizag loksabha seat.

Though, the BJP and TD likely candidates for Vizag loksabha seats, Kambhampati Haribabu, Ganta Srinivasa Rao are not the natives of Vizag, both of them have been living here since decades and settled here making Vizag their home.

Both Haribabu and Rao are from Prakasam district. Haribabu, migrated to Vizag long back when he was a student and studied at Andhra University, later established himself as an academician and a successful entrepreneur. Ganta Srinivas Rao too migrated to Vizag in 80s as a student and settled here as a successful entrepreneur before taking a plunge into politics.

“Non locals are actually disturbing the local fabric and culture. Though I have options to contest from Vizag, Anakapalle and Vizianagaram loksabha seats, I will be in the fray from Vizag if other parties field non locals and outsiders. Its unfortunate that non locals are calling the shots here in Vizag,” said Anakapalle MP and newly launched Jai Samaikyandhra Party (JSP), vice president, Sabbam Hari.