Visakhapatnam: All eyes are on the Vizag Lok Sabha seat where YSRC honorary president Y.S. Vijayalakshmi and BJP state unit chief Kambhampati Haribabu are in the fray.
Mr Haribabu, not so popular among the masses, seems to be struggling against Ms Vijayalakshmi. He is banking on the MLA candidates, Telugu Desam cadre and middle class urban voters.
He also has a considerable presence on social media in a bid to attract young and educated voters. BJP prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, TD chief Chandrababu Naidu and NDA’s star campaigner, Pawan Kalyan, had addressed a public meeting last week seeking votes for Mr Haribabu.
“People are looking for a local candidate who is accessible to them after having a bitter experience by electing outsiders in the last two elections. They also want someone who works under Modi. They are seeing strong leadership qualities in Modi, which will help me win the seat being the BJP candidate,” said Mr Haribabu.
With middle class urban voters less in number than those of urban poor and those living in the outskirts, Ms Vijayalakshmi seems to have bright chances. Of the total seven Assembly segments under Vizag Lok Sabha constituency, YSRC is strong in four and TD candidates in the other three.
The Vizag Lok Sabha constituency comprises a total electorate of 17,20,803.
The YSRC looks to be comfortable in Vizag West, North, South and S. Kota, while the TD is strong in Bheemili, where former minister Ganta Srinivas Rao is in the fray.
Ms Vijayalakshmi has been campaigning more on the outskirts and the rural tracts of the district, explaining the welfare schemes that a YSRC government would implement if voted to power. Her campaign strategy clearly indicates that her focus is mainly on the masses. Her son and party chief, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, had also visited Vizag on Saturday.
Mr Jagan Reddy’s sister, Sharmila, will visit Vizag on Monday to seek votes for her mother.
YSR Congress strikes muslim chord
YSRC honorary president and Vizag LS candidate Y.S. Vijayalakshmi said Dr YSR had introduced Urdu as second language in the state and had also included Muslims in the BC-E category. During his regime, there was no differentiation for availing benefits based on community or religion. He had provided equal opportunities and amenities to all, she said while addressing the Muslim community at the party office in Port area on Sunday.
She added that programmes for free education, corporate health care, ambulance services, benefits to farmers and women would be extended to all irrespective of their religion. She assured government support for the construction and repair of masjids and burial grounds if her party comes to power. “YSR was in love with this city and hence I decided to contest from here. We will transform it into a green zone. We will concentrate on projects like metro rail, improvement of pharma sector, ports, airports, and other public sector undertakings for progress,” she said
