TDP may allot the seat to alliance partner JSP

Rajamahendravaram: With the seat sharing process between TDP and Jana Sena still pending it is not yet clear as to who would be the opposition candidate from Rajahmundry rural constituency. Sources say that the possibility of TDP giving the seat to Jana Sena is not ruled out.

As the YSRCP has announced the name of Minister Chulluboina Srinivas Venugopala Krishna as its candidate and shifted him from Ramachandrapuram to Rahamundry rural, he has kick-started his campaign.

For past 23 days, he has been meeting the voters directly and holding group-wise meetings. He says that there are about 2.17 lakh voters in Rajahmundry Rural constituency, and so far he has met lakhs of voters directly.

The Minister held meetings with various groups like pensioners, YSRCP workers, YSR Aasara beneficiaries, Jagananna Cheyuta scheme beneficiaries, village volunteers and secretariat staff in the last 20 days.

He said that he got to know everyone's problems and opinions at these meetings. Speaking to The Hans India, Minister Venu said that he will soon start padayatra across the constituency. He said that the padayatra would be completed before the notification and he would go to every house and meet people face to face.

TDP politburo member Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, the incumbent MLA, had been abroad for some time and began meeting people on returning from the foreign trip. He is unlikely to contest this time. People complain that there were many issues which have not been resolved and that problems were piling up.

But Butchaiah Chowdary complains that the State government was deliberately ignoring all his pleas and representations. Jana Sena district president Kandula Durgesh is in the race for the ticket. He has been associated with the constituency for the past 10 years.

Though Venugopala Krishna as in-charge minister has been visiting the constituency, there is opposition to the way he has been campaigning deputing 50 staff members from the municipal corporation.

The Minister is trying to address the sanitation problems of the constituency rapidly. An app has also been introduced for this purpose. He is monitoring the cleaning of the sewers every day. He is touring the wards and villages under the name of Good Morning Rajahmundry Rural. The minister said that while there are 21 villages in the constituency, he has already visited 12 villages so far.

YSRCP leaders say that about a 1,000 TDP workers have joined YSRCP from the satellite city where TDP is strong, which is an indication of their growing strength. But TDP leaders say that Minister Venugopala Krishna, who is a non-local person, is actively touring only to introduce himself.

Sitting MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary said that despite non-cooperation from the State government, the constituency is not lagging behind in development.