Race for Vizag Lok Sabha seat heats up in the BJP

Visakhapatnam: With the Vizag Lok Sabha seat likely to go to the BJP, the race among various party leaders for the ticket has become interesting.The main contenders are BJP AP unit chief Kambhampati Haribabu and former Union ministers D. Purandeswari and Kavuri Sambasiva Rao.

It is learnt that the TD has agreed to give Vizag, Araku, Narasapuram, Rajampeta and Tirupati Lok Sabha seats to the BJP in AP. The saffron party also wanted Vijayawada to accommodate either Ms Purandeswari, who joined the party last month, or yet-to-be-inducted Mr Rao. However, its last-ditch efforts were unsuccessful.

Though Mr Haribabu was the obvious choice for the party ticket, there are reports that Ms Purandeswari or Mr Rao were also not being ruled out to contest from here in case YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy decides to field his sister Sharmila from Vizag. Mr Reddy is yet to decide on the Vizag candidate.

During a meeting with her supporters last month, Ms Purandeswari had expressed her desire to contest from Vizag again on a BJP ticket if the party gave her a chance.

However, she had made it clear that she was joining the party unconditionally and would contest from wherever the party asked her to.