Assembly elections: Vijayawada turns hot seat

Vijaywada:Several prominent personalities are eyeing Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency for contesting in the forthcoming elections as it has become a prime seat for the Telugu Desam and BJP.

Significantly, Telugu Desam lost the constituency in the last two elections but Vijayawada has turned a prime seat for both the party leaders. Former Union minister and NTR's daughter D. Purandeswari is making all efforts to contest from the Vijayawada parliament seat on a BJP ticket with the support of the Telugu Desam.

Now she is attending all functions and visiting relatives here on and off. She has been appointed as the BJP publicity campaign committee chairman for Seemandhra also. According to political sources, film hero and NTR son Nandamuri Bala Krishna had advised her to join the BJP and contest with Telugu Desam support as per an electoral alliance between the two parties. Already the BJP leadership has asked the Telugu Desam to allot the Vijayawada parliament seat to the BJP.

On the other hand, Union minister Kavuri Sambasiva Rao has recently joined the race for the Vijayawada parliament seat. Rumors are doing the rounds in political circles that he may contest from Vijayawada or Machilipatnam on a Telugu Desam ticket. Recently he conducted a meeting with party activists and was advised to join the Telugu Desam. The rank and file of Telugu Desam is opposing his entry but his relationship with film hero Bala Krishna may help him in getting the ticket.

Similarly Koneru Lakshmaiah University (KLU) chairman Koneru Satyanaryana also recently met party chief Chandrababu Naidu and expressed his interest in the parliament seat for contesting on a Telugu Desam ticket. The Koneru Lakshmaiah family also has relations with the NTR family since the last three decades.

Industrialist and film producer Potluri Varaprasad is also keen on the Vijayawada LS seat especially in contesting on the TD or Jana Sena ticket. He is also expecting the seat and making plans for bagging the ticket since the last few months. Moreover, the TD parliamentary party constituency in-charge is facing tension over developments in the party.

He has already spent nearly '10 crore for party activities. How the party can skip him in Vijayawada is a debate in political circles.