Already faction-ridden BJP in Andhra Pradesh is seems to be vertically divided in Visakhapatnam city with regard to contesting in the forthcoming elections to Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC). It may be recalled that this is the first municipal corporation in the entire country that the BJP had won after its formation in 1980. That too BJP’s DSN Reddy was the first mayor of the city.

Presently party’s state president Dr K Haribabu is MP from Visakhapatnam and its legislature party leader P Vishnu Kumar Raju is the MLA from this city. So, local party leaders are insisting that it would be a prestigious city for the party and to make all out efforts to win Mayor Post. However, they seems to be unhappy as state party leadership is not showing such determination.

As presently TDP and BJP are in alliance, negotiations for seats sharing for the forthcoming polls to 11 municipal corporation in the state are yet to be begins. Local BJP leaders are brining pressure on the state leadership to claim for Visakha Mayor. In this regard, they also planning to represent to the party chief Amit Shah to bring pressure on Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

However, party state leaders are expecting that in any case Chandrababu Naidu is most unlikely to spare this Mayor for BJP, as this is the biggest city in the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh. Economically also this city is most advanced one in the state and several TDP ministers, including Chief Minister has financial interests in this city.

In such scenario, it may be difficult for the state party to pressurise Chandrababu Naidu for this city Mayor post. Moreover, some leaders are said to be preferring to claim for one MLC seat, rather seeking Mayor post, in which chances of winning are remote for the party.