Pothina Mahesh’s Hopes for Vijayawada West Seat Shattered, Courtesy Naidu

Jana Sena spokesperson Pothina Venkata Mahesh, who had actively campaigned for the ticket from Vijayawada West, suffered a big jolt as the key seat was given to the BJP. Earlier, it was hoped that the Vijayawada West seat would be allotted to the Jana Sena Party as part of the seat-sharing agreement. 

The Vijayawada West seat was a contentious issue, with the Jana Sena Party insisting that it should be allotted to them. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu had initially expressed willingness to give the constituency to the BJP. Following a campaign by the supporters of Pothina Mahesh, party chief Pawan Kalyan had assured him that he would be the party's candidate for the seat. 

Mahesh had held several protests and also went on a hunger strike for ten days with his supporters, anticipating the Vijayawada West ticket. However, his hopes were shattered when Naidu finalized the seat for the BJP. The saffron party is fielding Sujana Chowdary, a close aide of the BJP, as the party's candidate from the constituency. 

While there had been speculation about potential BJP candidates from various communities, including Vakkalagadda Bhaskara Rao from the Vaishya community and Atluri Sriram and Bobburi Sriram from the BC Nagar community, Naidu's decision to nominate Sujana Chowdary caught many by surprise. Pothina Mahesh is now considering contesting as an independent candidate.

Also Read: Did Siddharth & Aditi Rao Hydari Lie To Temple About Their Marriage?