Jonnavithula joins BJP

Vijayawada: One of the leading Telugu film lyricists, Jonnavithula Ramalingeswara Rao, made a political debut by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Friday. He took the party membership at the popular Sivaji Café Center in Satyanarayanapuram, indicating that he would be the party’s candidate for the Vijayawada Central Assembly constituency for the 2014 elections, whether there is alliance with the Telugu Desam or the party would have to go alone. The party had pulled more number of people from the area where Jonnavithula too enjoys some personal contacts in the area as he hails from Ajitsinghnagar where his family still owns a house.

The BJP, which is riding on the pro-Modi’s wave across the country, is now firm on having its representation from the city, the political capital of the State. The party could not retain the seat after its nominee and film actor, Kota Srinivasa Rao, won the seat in alliance with the Telugu Desam in 1999-2004 elections. Though the party contested on its own in 2004 and 2009 elections, it remained in third place.

Banking more on the Brahmin vote bank and also the increasing support to the party from the Backward Classes, the party is now firm on having its own candidate for the next elections and roping in Jonnavithula sends clear signal to the party voters and also to the alliance partners. The party workers took out a rally from the popular Sivaji Café Center to NRP Road. He is set to tour the divisions for the next four to five days to renew his contacts.

Jonnavithula said he was attracted to the development-oriented slogans and vision of Narendra Modi.