BJP has a tough job on hand: Vizag

As far as the party cadre is concerned, it is favouring its senior leader Haribabu as Purandeswari came on board only recently. In case Haribabu gets the nod, Purandeswari has to be accommodated elsewhere. The BJP, it is believed, is seeking change of seats to accommodate her and there is also a rumour that Haribabu may step aside to allow the sitting MP Purandeswari to contest again from Vizag.

With YSRCP leader Sharmila Reddy likely to join the fray here, whoever is pitted against her, would have a tough time.

In the case of Araku (ST) which is allotted to BJP, there are virtually no candidates, which is why the State leadership is trying to seek some other seat like Ongole from where Purandeswari can contest. The sitting MP and Congress' senior leader - Union Minister for Tribal Welfare Vyricherla Kishore Chandra Deo will again contest from Araku and his YSRCP rival will be Kothapalli Geetha. BJP is not keen on this seat where it is weak.

Meanwhile, there is tremendous competition for the Visakhapatnam North Assembly seat, the only one allotted to BJP.

State vice-president Bandaru Rangamohan Rao, P Vishukumar Raju, Ch Ramakotaiah, Kasi Viswanatha Raju, J Prithviraju and PVN Madhav are in the race. Barring Madhav and Prithviraju, all others are also willing to contest the Vizag Lok Sabha seat as well.

But the party may not consider any of these for Lok Sabha and whoever is chosen for Vizag North, will have the support of others as was made clear by Ramakotaiah who earlier unsuccessfully contested from the North Andhra Graduates Constituency to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council and Vishnu Kumar Raju who has reportedly spurned the offer of a `winner ticket' from another political party from Vizag North to join the BJP owing to his association with the RSS.