BJP to field Hari Babu for Vizag LS seat
VISAKHAPATNAM: President of Seemandhra BJP unit Kambhampati Hari Babu is likely to contest from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha segment.
Though the alliance with Telugu Desam Party has not been finalised, BJP local leaders have sent a report to the party central leadership on the winning prospects of the party in Lok Sabha segments in Seemandhra and Visakhapatnam is among the 'winnable' seats.
The BJP local leadership has got morale boost after Jana Sena Party chief Pavan Kalyan announced support to the party. According to party sources, senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu too told the party leadership that Visakhapatnam is one of the good Lok Sabha segments for BJP to contest.
Seeing the prospects, Hari Babu is keen to contest from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency, where the BJP has a good vote share. However, except in 1999, in alliance with TDP, the party never won an MLA and an MP seat from this region. It has only got a good number of votes.
In 1999, Hari Babu won as MLA from Visakhapatnam I constituency. An academician and a businessman, he enjoys good rapport with party leadership.
'Even if my party ties up with TDP, Visakhapatnam will be our priority. In fact, the TDP has no right candidate in the constituency. There are different needs for the two parties. The TDP needs MLAs, while the BJP needs MP seats,' a senior leader of BJP has said.
The party has emerged as a strong force with Narendra Modi's charisma and now Pawan Kalyan's image, he added. However, BJP local leaders have been directed by its central leadership to keep quiet until the alliance with TDP is finalised, he said.
News Posted: 25 March, 2014
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