Retired IPS officer and former joint director of Central Bureau of Investigation V V Lakshminarayana is going to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Visakhapatnam parliamentary constituency on Jana Sena Party ticket.
Jana Sena chief and actor Pawan Kalyan announced JD’s candidature on Tuesday evening.
The announcement came within hours of Telugu Desam Party declaring the candidature of M Sri Bharat, the second son-in-law of Nandamuri Balakrishna, actor and TDP MLA from Hindupur.
Lakshminarayana joined the Jana Sena Party only on Sunday, though there was a talk that he would join the TDP.
But after TDP president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu developed second thoughts in admitting him following severe criticism from YSR Congress party, Lakshminarayana joined the Jana Sena, which is said to be a strategic move.
Now, what are the chances of Lakshminarayana wining the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat?
No doubt, he has created some euphoria among the youth with his call for clean politics, but one does not know whether he would fit into such high profile contest.
YSR Congress party has fielded popular builder M V V Satyanarayana because of his money power though he is new to politics. And Sri Bharat is the grandson of former MP late M V V S Murthy and is also related to NTR’s family.
So, both are tough candidates and one wonders whether Lakshminarayana will be able to withstand the competition.
May be, Pawan has fielded the ex-CBI JD to split the anti-establishment vote in a big way so that it would ultimately benefit the TDP!