Botsa files papers for MLC bypoll

Visakhapatnam: Former minister and senior YSRC leader Botsa Satyanarayana has filed his nomination for MLC byelection in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

Satyanarayana was accompanied by his wife and former MP Botsa Jhansi Lakshmi, Mayor G. Hari Venkata Kumari and Araku MP Tanuja Rani while he filed his nomination papers at the district collectorate. A large number of party workers were present outside the collectorate in support of Satyanarayana. Tuesday is the last day for filing nominations.

The byelection was necessitated after Vamsi Krishna Yadav has resigned last December and joined the Jana Sena. NDA alliance is yet to finalise its candidate though there are rumors about fielding Dilip Chakravarthy.

Talking to reporters after filing papers, Satyanarayana said the YSRC has 530 out of a total 838 votes.

“I wonder how the NDA alliance is fielding candidates when the YSRC has a majority of 530 votes, a margin of around 300 votes,’’ Satyanarayana said. He said there was talk about NDA fielding a businessman, Dilip Chakravarthy.

“Is this an election or trading? What message does the NDA is giving to people,” Satyanarayana said.

The YSRC leadership told the voters to keep away from mischievous elements, he said. As part of the strategy, 250 voters have been sent to a camp to prevent trading, he added.

Out of 838 voters, 39 are ZPTCs. Of them Hukumpeta ZPTC Regam Matsyalingam has been elected as Araku MLA from the YSRC. Ravikamatam ZPTC Talari Ramanamma, Sabbavaram ZPTC Tumpala Apparao died recently. The TD has one ZTPC from Narsipatnam and the CPI(M) has one from Ananthagiri. Around 662 are MPTCs among the voters.

Though the YSRC has a majority of voters belonging to the party, Satyanarayana is not taking any chances after the party’s debacle in the standing committee elections of GVMC where 12 corporators belonging to the YSRC voted for the TD.

Satyanarayana held a series of election meetings in Chodavaram, Narsipatnam, Anakapalle and Visakhapatnam to motivate the voters. Regional coordinator Y.V. Subba Reddy and former minister Kurasala Kannababu also had hectic meetings.