Aja Sarma in fray for MLC graduates constituency polls

Visakhapatnam: Even before the TDP finalising the candidature of BJP candidate P N Madhav as the joint candidate for the ensuing north Andhra MLC graduates constituency election, various trade unions supporting Aja Sarma as their candidate have already entered third and final stage of door-to-door campaign in all the three districts, ahead of other candidates in the fray.

More than 216 employees, teachers and workers’ unions in north coastal Andhra were campaigning for their candidate Aja Sarma whose name was announced much before and similarly APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy also announced the name of their candidate Yadla Adiraju, the Vizianagaram DCC president and who had unsuccessfully contested in the earlier election.

Unions affiliated to the CITU were also supporting the candidature of Aja Sarma and in addition to the above two names, so far the names of P N Madhav, son of former MLC and former BJP State president P V Chalapathi Rao, editor of Leader Eveninger V V Ramana Murty , supported by Lok Satta Party and S U N Murty of Social Media came to light.

Though the ruling TDP is yet to announce its support to the joint candidate Madhav, the BJP cadres began campaign behind the curtain. The YSRCP is not yet announced its stand whether to field a candidate or to support some other candidate in the MLC election.

According to sources, in the MLC election held in 2011, present MLC M V S Sarma, supported by trade unions had secured more than 50 per cent of the total 74,000 votes polled as the union leaders and members strongly believe that a candidate supported by trade unions could only raise his voice in the Legislative Council being himself is a trade union leader compared to that of a candidate supported by political parties.