Guntur: Narendra Modi to campaign in Andhra Pradesh on May 7,8

Guntur : With the first two phases of polls over, the BJP, which is in alliance with the TDP-Jana Sena combine and hopes to win at least three Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats, if not more, is now focusing its attention on Andhra Pradesh. The topmost leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a host of other leaders would now start descending on Andhra Pradesh.

According to sources, Modi is likely to visit the state on May 7 and 8 and would campaign for the party Lok Sabha and Assembly candidates as well as the candidates of the NDA alliance partners.

It is learnt that he would campaign for BJP state president D Purandeswari, who is contesting from the Rajahmundry Lok Sabha seat, and will also appeal to the people to elect Anaparthy candidate Ramakrishna Reddy. He will address a public meeting at Anakapalli from where the party former Rajya Sabha member C M Ramesh is contesting. The PM will then visit Pileru in Annamayya district and campaign in support of former CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is the BJP candidate for the Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency.

Party sources said that Modi would hold a roadshow in Vijayawada Assembly constituency from where another former MP Sujana Chowdary and TDP candidate for the Lok Sabha Kesineni Chinni are contesting. The BJP state unit has prepared an elaborate proposal and route map for the visit of Modi and has sent it to Delhi for approval.

What is still a cause of worry for the BJP state unit and the NDA partners is will the state police follow the protocol in letter and spirit at least this time or will they be non-cooperative as they were during the first visit of Modi. The BJP and alliance partners are insisting that the Election Commission of India should swing into action immediately and change the Chief Secretary and the DGP so that there would be no breach in the protocol and also to ensure free and fair polls on May 13.

Though the ECI had transferred some police officials recently, including the Intelligence chief, the Opposition leaders feel that the ECI was delaying in taking the decision of the most important changes at the highest level of administration. This could even send a wrong signal among the people that the BJP was playing double game, they feel.