It’s a fight between Jagan’s party and BJP in Vizag

The port city of Visakhapatnam in north coastal Andhra, variously described as the “Jewel of the East Coast” and the “City of Destiny,” has always been a hot destination for top-notch politicians during elections. Given the importance that the city enjoys, the YSR Congress headed by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has fielded Y S Vijayamma, the party’s honorary president and widow of former chief minister late Y S Raasekhar Reddy, for the Lok Sabha seat.

The BJP, which got the constituency under the seat-sharing agreement with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) after some hard bargaining, has fielded the party’s Seemandhra unit president Dr K Hari Babu, a respected local leader who has been nursing the region for a long time.

The Congress, faced with a hostile electorate all over Seemandhra following its decision to divide the state, has fielded B Satyanarayana (Satya) who owns an IT company and a warehouse. The fledgling Jai Samaikyandhra Party, floated by former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, has nominated Sabbam Hari, a sitting Congress MP from Anakapalle. The main fight, however, will be between Vijayamma and Hari Babu.

The YSRC, in a tactical move to raise political stakes in Visakhapatnam, has fielded Vijayamma, a soft-spoken homemaker who was forced into the rough and tumble of politics under extraordinary circumstances. All along her campaign, she has been playing the sympathy card to the hilt and is banking on the undercurrent of goodwill for YSR for introducing a string of welfare schemes and pro-poor policies during his tenure from 2004 to 2009.

Following the UPA government’s success in creation of Telangana state, the political dynamics in Seemandhra has undergone a sea-change. Economic and industrial development of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh and building of new capital city have emerged as the key campaign issues for all political parties.

The TDP-BJP alliance has been highlighting the experience of TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu’s track record on development during his tenure as chief minister between 1995 and 2004. “Only Naidu can take the new state forward on the path of progress because of his nine year long experience as CM,” the leaders argue. The combine has been targeting its main rival YSRC for being a party of “scamsters” and wondering how Jagan, who is currently on bail in connection with the illegal assets case, could ensure development of the state.

The YSRC, on the other hand, has been focusing on pro-poor and welfare schemes of YSR and promising the people that Jagan, if voted to power, would implement them in letter and spirit. Free power for farmers, fee reimbursement for students, health insurance for the poor, old age pensions, housing for weaker sections are among the programmes that continue to have impact on the voters.

The 58-year-old Vijayamma, generally not considered as an effective orator, however, has been drawing huge crowds in the constituency. Not known for aggressive posturing, she speaks in a low, measured voice and keeps the tone and tenor of her speeches very simple. She makes it a point to talk about her trauma following the death of YSR in a helicopter crash in September 2009 and points how the late chief minister is still alive in the “hearts of millions of people.”

Haribabu, on the other hand, is confident that the educated sections would prefer the TDP-BJP combine over Jagan who is facing corruption charges. He is also banking on the growing popularity of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and the good governance track-record of Chandrababu Naidu. Visakhapatnam, which has a cosmopolitan outlook, is home to a large number of public sector undertakings, steel plant, Hindustan Shipyard and is the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command.

news@khaleejtimes.com

• India