Rajamahendravaram: MP candidates intensify campaign

Rajamahendravaram : The campaign of MP candidates is in full swing in East Godavari district. After the scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations, there are 12 candidates in the field for the Rajahmundry Lok Sabha constituency.

BJP State president Daggubati Purandeswari, YSRCP MP candidate Dr Guduri Srinivas, Congress MP candidate and former PCC president Gidugu Rudra Raju are the main candidates in the fray.

BSP candidate P Ganeswara Rao, Rashtriya Praja Congress (Secular) candidate Meda Srinivasa Rao, Navarang Congress Party candidate Bathula Balarama Krishna and Jai Bharat National Party candidate Singuluri Mohana Rao are contesting for the MP seat. Five more are in the field as Independents.

But the main contest will be between Purandeswari, who is contesting with the support of TDP,and Jana Sena as the candidate of the NDA, Guduri Srinivas, YSRCP candidate and Gidugu Rudra Raju, candidate representing INDIA alliance.

These three candidates also organised huge rallies with thousands of people to file their nominations and attracted everyone's attention.

Just seven days are left for campaigning for the ensuing polls. The East Godavari district has seven Assembly constituencies. The three main political rivals are busy with non-stop election campaigns.

All the MP candidates are holding road shows. About 15 villages are covered every day. As part of the social engineering, efforts are being made to gather the support of the respective communities by holding dinner meetings in the name of ‘AtmeeyaSammelanams’ caste-wise and various social groups.

As the heat of the sun is extreme, the campaigning of the candidates is hampered. During afternoon hours, it is difficult to find activists and people.

That is why almost every candidate is campaigning from 9 am to 11 am. Again campaign rallies are held between 4 pm and 10 pm. After the campaign, it is seen in every party camp that they hold discussions with key leaders and groups and participate in strategy planning even till midnight.

BJP Rajahmundry MP candidate Purandeswari campaigned along with TDP Assembly candidates in Rajahmundry City, Rajahmundry Rural, Kovvur and Gopalapuram constituencies, Jana Sena candidates in Rajanagaram and Nidadavolu constituencies and BJP MLA candidate in Anaparthi.

She has already completed the first phase tour of seven constituencies. Now the second phase is going on. Villages that were not covered in the first phase of the tour are now being visited. Party sources say that till now she has organised road shows in more than 150 villages in various constituencies.

YSRCP candidate Dr Guduri Srinivas participated in ‘Gadapa Gadapaku’ programme in Rajahmundry city a few months ago in the capacity of city coordinator. At that time, the party projected him as the MLA candidate. Later, he became an MP candidate. Apart from Rajahmundry City, he is doing extensive campaign tours in other constituencies.

Special and individual teams on behalf of NDA and YSRCP candidates Purandeswari and Guduri Srinivas are travelling across the constituency and mobilising the support of leaders and groups from the village level. For this, they are trying hard in all the ways.

Congress candidate Gidugu Rudra Raju is campaigning innovatively in collaboration with INDIA alliance partner parties like CPI, CPM and the Aam Admee Party. He left his mark on the campaign by participating in May Day rallies and extended support to the workers during the Andhra paper mill lockout. So far he has toured all the seven Assembly constituencies twice. Among the MP candidates, he held the most media meetings.