Visakhapatnam: Bellani Chandrashekhar, the YSR Congress candidate fielded against TDP’s Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju in Vizianagaram, is confident of pulling off a ‘surprise’ victory against the former Union minister of civil aviation.Talking to TOI in an exclusive interview, the 56-year-old Chandrashekhar, who started his political career in Chipurupalli 30 years ago as a market yard chairman in the late eighties, spoke about his strengths and challenges.You have been pitted against a heavyweight who has been a state minister several times and a Union minister once, apart from being a seven time MLA, how do you rate your chances against him?Ashok Gajapathi Raju won with a handsome majority in 2014. However, this time, there will be a shift in his vote bank. In 2014, most of the Kapus and sub-groups in Gajapathinagaram, Chipurupalli, Etcherla and Nellimarla supported him. This time, however, the support base has shifted to the YSRC as I belong to the Turpu-Kapu community.Where do you have an advantage over TDP I’m a grass-root level leader, not a state or national-level leader; this will work to my advantage. My community contacts and the goodwill that I enjoy in each panchayat and mandal, will give me the edge during the campaign.What is the main pitch of your campaign?Lack of infrastructure and industrial development in the constituency. Although Raju has done good work as the Union civil aviation minister, he did not focus enough on the constituency development. Many of his proposed projects, including the Bhogapuram, are yet to take shape and there was hardly any industrial investment.Do you expect improved voter turnout this election? If so, how would it work?In the last election in 2014, the voter turnout was close to 80%, with over 11 lakh votes being polled. During his padayatra the YSRC chief focused exclusively on the Vizianagaram parliamentary constituency, this would definitely swing things in our favour.So you do believe that you will win comfortably?I should win with a comfortable margin, there is no doubt about that. I also feel that there is something called fate. In 1998, the previous Pusapati MP to contest from this constituency (then known as Bobbili parliamentary constituency), Pusapati Anand Gajapathi Raju, the present MP’s older brother lost to a TDP candidate from Chipurupalli, Kondapalli Pydithalli Naidu. I’m confident of repeating the same feat.

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