Kakinada: There is a dissidence within the cadres of Bharatiya Janata Party over allotment of seats in the district of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, Kakinada and East and West Godavari.
The BJP high command, in its frequent meetings during formation of the alliance with Telugu Desam and Jana Sena, has been seeking the Rajamahendravaram and Kakinada seats.
Earlier, these seats have been represented by prominent BJP leaders like S.B.P.B.K. Satyanarayana Rao, Girjala Venkata Swamy Naidu from Rajamahendravaram Lok Sabha constituency. Cine actor U.V Krishnam Raju had been elected as MP from the Kakinada Lok Sabha seat.
Assembly seats like Rajamahendravaram and Tadepalligudem have also been allotted to BJP, which the part won during 2014 elections. Pydikonda Manikyala Rao even went on to become a minister in Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's cabinet.
But this time, Jana Sena and Telugu Desam candidates are also seriously competing for seats from the four districts in the Godavari region.
BJP aspirants suffered a shock when the Kakinada assembly constituency went to former TD MLA Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao. BJP leaders point out that when he had been the MLA from 2014 to 2019, he had insulted and humiliated BJP cadres. He did not even respect important leaders of the BJP.
In 1999 elections, BJP leader Ayaji Vema had been elected from Nagaram constituency. It now falls within P. Gannavaram constituency area. BJP had been expecting this seat. But, Jana Sena has announced Giddi Satyanarayana as its candidate from the constituency.
For past five years, Garapati Siitharama Chowdary alias Tapana Chowdary had been hoping for the Eluru MP seat. But Telugu Desam has announced Putta Mahesh Yada's name for this seat.
Following these reverses, BJP cadres in Kakinada had planned to stage an agitation and burn the effigy of “alliance'' in front of the BJP office. However, the idea was dropped after the BJP leadership called them up saying the alliance partners may yet forego the seats in favour of BJP.
BJP is expecting the Kaikaluru in Eluru district. Former minister Kamineni Srinivas is hoping to contest from this seat. This has made BJP aspirants unhappy, who contend that the seat must be allotted to a BJP candidate who has actively participated in various programmes in the district.
Kakinada District SC Morcha president Yedida Krishna said candidates like G. Satyanarayana in Kakinada and Ch. Ramkumar in Prathipadu have put in tremendous effort to strengthen the party. They must be allotted these seats. Krishna regretted that BJP leadership is not doing anything in this regard.
Incidentally, BJP had not yet announced the names of any of its candidates. However, it is said party state president D. Purandeswari may contest from Rajamahendravaram Lok Sabha constituency.
