TD to lose three seats in Vizag: Babji

Visakhapatnam: In a controversial statement, former TD leader and former MLA Gandi Babji said the TD would lose three seats in Visakhapatnam district.

Talking to media persons in the Visakhapatnam TD office recently, Babji said the party might lose Visakhapatnam North, Visakhapatnam West, and one more in the district, which he did not name.

NDA alliance candidate and former BJP floor leader P. Vishnu Kumar Raju is contesting against YSRC candidate K.K. Raju. Former CBI officer V.V. Lakshminarayana is also in the fray from Visakhapatnam North. Raju lost to TD’s Ganta Srinivasa Rao in the 2019 elections.

Babji also said the party might lose Visakhapatnam West, where senior TD leader P.V.G.R. Naidu (Ganababu ) is contesting against YSRC’s Adari Ananda Kumar.

TD state president K. Atchannaidu did not react to Babji’s prediction. “I am not aware of such videos circulating on social media; I will find out,” said K. Atchannaidu, who is contesting from Tekkali for the third time.

Refusing to make any comment, P. Vishnu Kumar Raju said Babji might have expressed his personal opinion and could not guess on what basis he might have said. Visakhapatnam West candidate P.V.G.R. Naidu said he was yet to see the video clipping.

TD sources said there were discussions going on in the party to find out what made him make this statement.

Out of seven Assembly segments, TD won in four constituencies in the 2019 elections.

On March 14, Babji, who was incharge for Visakhapatnam South constituency resigned from the party after a segment was allotted to MLC Vamsi Krishna Yadav, who recently joined Jana Sena, quitting YSRC. Babji has been working in the constituency for the last two years, hoping to get the ticket.

Babji, while in Congress, won from the Pendurthi constituency in 2004 defeating Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy of TD. He lost to Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, who was then in the Praja Rajyam Party in 2009. He joined YSRC and lost to Bandaru Satyanarayana Murhty in 2014. He joined TD before the 2019 elections and became district president.