The race for the Visakha (North) constituency took a turn with sitting MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju, reentering the fray.
The BJP MLA, who was undecided till Wednesday evening, announced his decision to contest again on BJP ticket late in the evening. However, he said that the decision awaits clearance from the party high command.
This has increased the heat in the constituency, as TDP that was contemplating fielding Nara Lokesh has apparently dropped the idea and is now focussing on Ganta Srinivasa Rao. In 2014, P. Vishnu Kumar Raju won the election defeating Chokkakula Venkata Rao of YSRCP, but then TDP had allotted the seat to BJP, as part of the pre-poll alliance.
Now with Mr. Raju in the fray, the contest will be between BJP, TDP, YSRCP and JSP (Jana Sena Party).
With the ruling TDP proposing to field HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, the YSRCP is also reportedly keeping its options open on its candidate from the constituency.
As of now realtor K. K. Raju is the Assembly coordinator and in the normal procedure adopted by the party should be its nominee from the Assembly constituency.
However, to counter TDP upping the ante, YSRCP may bring in former MLA Tynala Vijay Kumar, say sources. He won the 2009 election on Congress ticket from the North constituency. He is presently YSRCP Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha president.
If his candidature is preferred, the party has to support him to face a strong contender like Ganta Srinivasa Rao.
Sources in TDP say that though a decision has been taken to field IT Minister Nara Lokesh from Mangalagiri, nominees to Visakhapatnam North, Anakapalle and Bhimunipatnam constituencies have not been finalised. Mr. Srinivasa Rao’s name is reportedly figuring for the three constituencies.
Meanwhile, sources say that Jana Sena Party (JSP) is likely to field social activist Bolisetti Satyanarayana.