Visakhapatnam: The YSR Congress might look the strongest party, at least on paper, in the two Visakha agency assembly constituencies of Araku valley and Paderu in the district, but it is the creeping presence of Jana Sena that is worrying them. In fact, Jana Sena could well save the day for TDP in the coming elections by dividing the votes. YSRC have a strong candidate in Kumbha Ravi Babu for Araku. They are now scouting for a new face in Paderu following the defection of Giddi Eswari to the TDP. Party sources said Sudarshana Dora, former RDO of Parvathipuram, is likely be the YSRC’s candidate in Paderu.While Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSRC has a strong and efficient cadre and a natural support base in the area, the ruling TDP is banking on the various outreach schemes launched in the last couple of months, besides the sympathy factor for Kidari Shravan Kumar — the state SC/ST welfare minister whose father Kidari Sarveswara Rao was killed by Maoists last year — to sail through.The YSRC leadership is confident of winning both the assembly seats from the area. Salur lawmaker Rajanna Dora, who is likely to be the party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Araku, told TOI: “Agency area has always been our turf. In Paderu, we are planning to field a new face to win it back from the sitting MLA who later defected to TDP, while in Araku valley our voter outreach has gone up by several notches.”But that’s where the Jana Sena comes into the picture, and the growing popularity of Pasupuleti Bala Raju in Paderu and Pangi Raja Rao in Araku is becoming a cause for worry as far as YSRC is concerned.A senior TDP coordinator, who did not wish to be named, said Jana Sena could well end up helping the ruling party candidates. “Pawan Kalyan is a popular face in the area, and he will end up harming the YSRC more than us. However, as of now the situation is quite fluid. We are not taking YSRC lightly, they have a strong presence in the area,” he said.

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