Why YSR Congress' Vijayamma has an edge over BJP in Vizag

Once the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh is formalized, Visakhapatnam will be the largest and most developed City in Seemandhra region with a population of around two million.

While the rest of the country seems to have decided on clear favourites, there isn’t much of a ‘wave’ in favour of any candidate in this region.

The YSR Congress has sent its honorary president YS Vijayalakshmi aka Vijayamma, mother of YS Jaganmohan Reddy in the poll race. The Telugu Desam Party has left the decision to select a candidate here to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as part of its seat-sharing adjustment.

Jagan’s move to field his mother from this constituency is being seen as a master strategy. Vijayamma’s presence in the north coastal city can also influence voters in three other neighbouring districts - namely Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.

Just three days after the mammoth rally by Narendra Modi, the mood in Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency indicates that Vijayamma is comfortably placed in the race.

She is locking horns with BJP’s Andhra Pradesh unit president Kambhampati Hari Babu in a straight contest. Sabbam Hari, sitting MP from the neighbouring Anakapalle LokSabha constituency and one-time associate of Jagan, who is contesting on behalf of Kiran Kumar Reddy’s Jai Samaikyandhra party is not a big player in the constituency. Congress nominee B Satyanarayana too also pales in comparison to the big YSR Congress-BJP battle.

YRS Congress workers and supporters seem to have assumed that there’s no stopping Vijayamma from winning in the constituency. Jagan too addressed a massive public meeting on the Ramakrishna Beach on Saturday evening, making an emotional appeal to his voters, asking them to elect his mother as their MP. This reinforced the confidence among the ranks of the YSR Congress.

Visakhapatnam North, East, West and South Assembly segments, which are completely urban, under this LokSabha seat hold the key to the success of any candidate. While Gajuwaka Assembly segment is a satellite town and part of Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Bhimili and Srungavarapu Kota Assembly segments are completely rural while the last one is an ST reserved segment located in the neighbouringVizianagaram district.

Vijayamma’s individual popularity apart, at least five of the seven contestants of the YSR Congress in the fray for the simultaneous polls to the Assembly are strong and enjoying an edge over their rivals. On the other hand, Hari Babu is fully banking on the support of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The vote transfer at the ground from the TDP to the BJP for the Lok Sabha seat doesn’t promise to be a smooth affair. Also, Hari Babu, who represented Visakhapatnam South Assembly seat in 1999-2004, is confining his campaign to the all too familiar area, ignoring the other constituencies.

While this is working against him, the factors favouring him are: 1. He was a professor in Andhra University College of Engineering; 2. He has a clean image; 3. Narendra Modi’s popularity among urban voters; 4. He is president of the State unit of his party. Nevertheless, he is not a well-known personality among the electorate.

How much of Narendra Modi’s popularity will translate into votes is a debatable issue. The massive attendance at Modi’s public meeting should not be treated as a popular support to him. A large number of youths who thronged the public meeting are fans of actor Pawan Kalyan. Incidentally, there is no guarantee that most of his fans can be perceived as a vote bank for the TDP and the BJP.

It is said that the plan to put up a united show by Modi, Pawan Kalyan and himself is the brainchild of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu.

Visakhapatnam traditionally elected candidates foreign to the constituency. Uma Gajapathi Raju, T Subbarami Reddy, MVVS Murthy, Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy and D Purandeswari have all represented the constituency since 1989 and none of them is a native Vizagite.

Now, YS Vijayamma, who is a native of Pulivendula in Kadapadistrct, is trying her luck promising a metro rail, railway zone and other amenities for the city, if elected.