Vizianagaram: Young foreign returnee Nagarjuna bags TDP Lok Sabha constituency chief post

Vizianagaram: After a long period, the TDP finally handed over the responsibility of party activities in Vizianagaram Lok Sabha constituency to young leadership instead of senior leaders.

Actually senior leader and politburo member P Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been looking after the party affairs in the entire Vizianagaram district consisting of nine Assembly constituencies and two Lok Sabha constituencies (Araku and Vizianagaarm) so far.

But now Kimidi Nagarjuna, a young technocrat and a foreign returnee became the president of Vizianagaram Parliamentary constituency. The appointment came as a much-needed boost to the party cadre who were demoralized following the debacle suffered by the TDP during the 2019 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Veteran leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju was defeated by Bellana Chandrasekhar of YSRCP and after that Ashok has been keeping away from party activities due to several reasons including health issues. With this the cadre here became demoralised due to lack of leaders to approach and to lead them to fight against the policies of the State government.

After a thorough search for an able leader, the TDP finally selected Nagarjuna to lead the party in Vizianagaram Lok Sabha constituency. He is the son of Kimidi Mrunalini, former Minister and MLA from Cheepurupalli.

She did not contest the recent elections and Nagarjuna was the party candidate in 2019 Assembly elections and he contested against senior YSRCP leader Botcha Satyanarayana. Nagarjuna was defeated in the elections but he could attract the attention of the cadre and leaders of that area.

He is accessible to party cadre and they find in him a good listener. He regularly interacts with the activists and keeps a close association with them.

These qualities seems to have attracted the high command and fetched him the post of the party chief of the Lok Sabha constituency.

Speaking to The Hans India, Nagarjuna says, "I will be with the cadre and common man forever. Even i will follow the footsteps of senior leaders like Ashok Gajapathi Raju and others in the district while conducting party programmes. We all together will decide the programmes and we will have a roadmap to reach the public. I don't think that I alone can lead the party here. Definitely, I need the support of seniors like Ashok Gajapathi Raju and others. Our aim is to stand for the public and gain their support."