Ground Report: Vizag South-Dronamraju to face anti-incumbency

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, May 2, 2014:  It’s not going to be a cakewalk for government whip Dronamraju Srinivas Rao, who is in the fray for Vizag South Constituency. With anti Congress wave prevalent across Seemandhra due to state bifurcation he seems to be trailing in the race. Dronamraju Srinivas and minister Balaraju are the only  prominent faces that remained in Congress in the district. Most of the MLAs and leaders quit Congress and either joined YSRC or TD.   

Last elections also he scraped through with very little margin of 341 votes. This time too the same person, Kola Guruvulu, who gave a tough fight to Srinivas, in 2009 polls, is in fray on an YSRC ticket. With renewed energy, TD urban unit, president, Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar is also in the fray resulting in a three pronged fight this time too. 

Though in most of constituencies in the district, the fight is expected only between YSRC and TD candidates, in Vizag South, Srinivas, is putting all efforts to be in fray, at least to give a decent fight. Locals strongly believe that Srinivas is the right man in a wrong party.

In 2009, Kola Guruvulu contested on a PRP ticket. Guruvulu, having his own cadre base, is confident of winning the seat this time as YS Vijayalakshmi is YSRC Vizag Lok Sabha nominee.  

He is leaving no stone unturned, to win the seat, as he lost it with a slender margin last time. Guruvulu said that, people have faith in Jaganmohan Reddy’s leadership and it will help him win the seat. The YSRC nominee added that, there are so many problems in the constituency and he is determined to solve them once voted to power.

 Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar, who stood third in the last polls, was successful in getting TD ticket again this time. He is banking on the development mantra being chanted by party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, general Modi wave and the anti incumbency against sitting ruling party candidate. 

 “Though we all like Dronamraju Srinivas, how can we vote his party, which divided the state. It is due to Congress we have lost Hyderabad. If he had contested from any other party or as an independent we would have definitely supported him. No Congress at all,” said, Sudharshan of I Town area.

There are around 15 candidates in the fray and total voters are 1,97,423 in Vizag South assembly segment.