Uphill task for TDP to win Visakha MLC

Vijayawada : The byelection to the AP Legislative Council from Visakhapatnam Local Authorities’ Constituency has become a litmus test for the ruling NDA government since it does not have the required strength to win the election on its own.

Of the total 838 votes, the TDP has a strength of 200 votes, and it needs another 250 votes to win the MLC seat. This certainly is not an easy task for the ruling partyand it requires a lot of poll management to win the election. The Opposition YSRCP which had fielded former minister Botcha Satyanarayana as its candidate realizing the possibility of cross voting or some of its voters migrating to the TDP or its alliance parties. It has also resorted to camp politics and shifted its members to resorts in Bengaluru till August 30, the day of polling.

The TDP alliance which had recently won all the 10 seats in the GVMC standing committee elections despite not having enough majority is now scouting for a candidate who can take on Botcha. The TDP has given the responsibility of garnering the support for the victory of the party candidate to Minister K Atchannaidu, MPs and MLAs.

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu is yet to take a decision on the party candidate. The state president Palla Srinivas Rao who held a series of meetings with district and state leaders has shortlisted the names of aspirants and submitted it to Naidu.