YSRCP in a bid to rope in star director Vinayak

Rajamahendravaram: The YSRCP is reportedly roping in veteran film director VV Vinayak from Kapu community into the party for the upcoming elections.

A team of party leaders consisting of actress and minister R K Roja, Rajahmundry MP Margani Bharat and minister Ambati Rambabu, who is close to the film industry, are reportedly engaged in the exercise of convincing the film director to enter politics on behalf of YSRCP.

The party is said to be ready to offer him Lok Sabha ticket either Rajahmundry or Kakinada or Eluru. The question being asked by people here will Vinayak, who is close to Megastar Chiranjeevi's family, join YSRCP against Pawan Kalyan.

It is also said that if he is really interested in electoral politics, either Jana Sena Party or TDP too will not hesitate to give him ticket.

Gandrothu Veera Venkata Vinayak (VV Vinayak) family from Chagallu in East Godavari district (earlier in West Godavari) has extensive business and family connections in Godavari districts.

That is why YSRCP leadership is trying cash in on his influence. A party leader claimed that Vinayak is not being offered ticket just because he was a film celebrity, but his family members were elected in gram panchayat elections with the backing of YSRCP. He said that his party has been close to Vinayak's family since the beginning. The selection of candidates for the Rajahmundry MP seat has become a challenge for the YSRCP in view of the allocation of both the Rajahmundry City and Rural Assembly seats to the Gouda Setti Balija caste.

YSRCP confirmed Margani Bharat for the Rajahmundry City and Chelluboina Venu Gopala Krishna for the Rajahmundry Rural. The party allotted the Rajahmundry MP seat, traditionally won by the upper castes, to the BC caste in the last election.

This time too, this seat will be given to the Gowda Setti Balija community said MP Bharat in the Kartika Samaradhana Sabha of his caste members. But since it is impossible to give three seats to one caste, it is reported that Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is thinking of conducting another experiment by giving Rajahmundry MP seat to Kapu community.

Earlier, Girajala Venkataswami Naidu from Rajahmundry, who belongs to the Kapu community, won as a BJP candidate in the seat.

In view of Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan's special focus on Godavari districts and the widespread presence of Kapu caste in these districts, YSRCP plans to give more weight to Kapus and BCs in the selection of candidates.