The ambitious BJP leaders in Andhra Pradesh, Rajya Sabha member GVL Narasimha Rao and former State President Somu Veerraju’s political fortunes seems to be at stake with the poll alliance reached between TDP, Jana Sena and BJP in the state.
These two leaders have been making efforts since some time to contest in these polls, so that to felt their political presence in the polls. These two leaders were said to be key players in fueling TDP’s relations with BJP, which ultimately led to TDP’s departure from BJP-led NDA six years ago.
Their proximity with YSRCP leadership, particularly with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is a open secret. These two leaders played key rule in fueling BJP- TDP relationship, which led to TDP’s departure from BJP-led NDA six years ago.
Already, BJP central leadership confined GVL Narasimha Rao to the state, relieving him from national spokesperson and his Rajya Sabha tennure is also about to expire and the party decided not to renominate him. Sensing this, for the last two years he has been attempting to gain ground in Visakhapatnam so that to contest in the Lok Sabha polls from here.
Somu Veerraju also revealed his ambition of contesting to the Assembly from Rajahmundry. Sensing BJP’s compulsions to reach poll alliance with TDP, both of these leaders expecting they can easiely win in polls with TDP’s support. However, their candidatures have ben receiving severe opposition from TDP, BJP and Jana Sena caders.
As BJP is only contesting in six Lok Sabha and six Assembly seats, observers felt it will be difficult for the BJP to accommodate them. Even they contested, BJP cannot expect TDP and Jana Sena cadres to support them, in view of their proximity with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Incidentally, till now GVL Narasimha Rao didn’t contested in any polls.
Though Somu Veerraju contested he hardly win hearts of the voters with respectable number of votes.
Since 2014, these two leaders are playing They an active role in thwarting the TDP-BJP alliance in 2019. If tickets are given to them, there is no possibility of transfer of votes and seats will also be lost. It is remarkable that both GVL and Somu did not win direct elections.
In the early days of his career, Somu Veerraju also lost in the gram panchayat elections. In the 2004 elections, he contested the Kadiam Assembly in alliance with the BJP and TDP and lost by a margin of 40 thousand votes.
In the 2009 elections, Somu contested as a BJP candidate for Rajahmundry Lok Sabha seat. Out of the total 1,017,820 votes cast, he got only 1,643 votes. Let’s see how it will be this time!
