Botcha in search of safe heaven away from home

VISAKHAPATNAM: Former minister and APCC president Botcha Satyanarayana is learnt to be eyeing 'safe seats' outside his native Vizianagaram district to contest the elections.

With his image taking a severe beating in his district following the violent incidents during the Samaikyandhra stir and his electoral prospects nosediving post bifurcation, Botcha and his family members are wary of entering the poll fray from Vizianagaram.

According to reliable sources, Botcha has set his eyes on Etcherla assembly segment in Srikakulam district while Bheemili in Visakhapatnam district has been chosen as the other option. It is said that private survey reports, which indicated swelling public anger against his family in Vizianagaram, have furthered his resolve to move out.

In fact, the former PCC boss is said to have already got down to the act of clearing the field free of contenders. As a first step, he mounted pressure on sitting Etcherla legislator Meesala Neelakantam Naidu to shift to some other constituency.

Neelakantam Naidu, who seems to have realised the strong desire of 'powerful' Botcha to have the seat for himself and the futility of countering it, reacted quickly by quitting Congress and joining YSRC.

According to sources, Botcha's close relative Chinna Srinu had reportedly already launched an orchestrated campaign against the sitting MLA by provoking dissent against him. Confirming Botcha's pressure to vacate the Etcherla seat, Neelakantam Naidu said it was also growing difficult for him to continue with Congress as it had lost people's faith.

Following the violence in Vizianagaram during the Samaikyandhra struggle last year which led to the clamping of curfew in the town and arrest of hundreds of youth, various local groups have severed ties with Botcha Satyanarayana.

Making the matters worse for him, people strongly believe that Botcha had supported the party high command in the division of state. Though he had an inkling of the growing discontent against him, Botcha Satyanarayana, in the last one year, neither focused on his constituency nor did much to turn the situation around.

Botcha, who won from Cheepurupalli in his district in 2004 and 2009, is also searching for safe havens for his close relatives B Appala Narasaiah (Gajapathinagaram MLA) and B Appala Naidu (Nellimarla MLA) and also his wife and Vizianagaram MP Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi.

According to a close aide of the family, Jhansi Lakshmi may choose to contest from the Bheemili assembly segment. However, if the party insists on her contesting for the Lok Sabha, she might opt for an alternative.