It’s official: TDP’s Sribharat to vie with Botcha Jhansi from YSRCP for Vizag MP seat

Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat candidates from TDP and YSRCP gear up for intense election campaign.

It’s official. M. Sribharat, grandson of ex-MP and educationist M.V.V.S. Murthy, from TDP and Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi, wife of Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana, from YSRCP, will vie for the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat in the ensuing elections.

Amid many speculations and debates with the alliance parties of BJP and JSP over seat sharing, the TDP, as anticipated, named Mr Sribharat as its candidate for the Parliamentary constituency in the third list released by the party here on Friday. This is the second time that Mr. Sribharat is contesting for the seat. In the 2019 elections, he lost to YSRCP’s M.V.V. Satyanarayana by over 4,400 votes.

While BJP’s Rajya Sabha MPs G.V.L. Narasimha Rao and C.M. Ramesh expressed interest in contesting from the Lok Sabha constituency, if the TDP list of candidates is of any hint, BJP is likely to choose Lok Sabha constituencies of either Anakapalli or Araku or both to field its candidates.

On the other hand, YSRCP’s candidate, Ms. Botcha Jhansi, though she has not been actively involved in politics recently, is a well-known face in the North Andhra region for her vast experience in public life.

Ms. Jhansi completed her Ph.D. at Andhra University. She worked as Vizianagaram Zilla Parishad Chairperson. During the 2007 by-polls, she was elected as Bobbili MP and then re-elected as MP from Vizianagaram in 2009. She also donned various roles in the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

After a brief lull, she is preparing to make a political comeback in the upcoming general election. Amid much fanfare, Ms. Jhansi began her political campaign this month and has been actively doing the ‘Gadapa Gadapa Ki Mana Prabhutvam’ campaign in all the wards here in Visakhapatnam. Currently, she is touring the Bheemunipatnam constituency.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sribharat has begun his campaign in all the constituencies. Coordinating with all the TDP-JSP candidates and senior leaders in various constituencies, he is conducting door-to-door campaigns and ward visits. He is also interacting with various communities, learning about their issues and struggles. Recently, he ventured into the sea along with fisherfolk youth. In the last few years, he has been conducting meetings with the cadre and local youth and actively involving himself in the party programmes.