CBI former joint director (JD) and Jai Bharat National Party president V V Lakshminarayana was given torch light as his party’s election symbol for the coming general election. He would use this symbol for both the Assembly and Parliament seats.

The Election Commission of India had taken the decision to allocate a torch light symbol for the Jai Bharat National Party, which was founded by Lakshminarayana a couple of months ago. He is currently planning to contest all the 175 Assembly seats and 25 Parliament seats for the coming general election.

Lakshminarayana took up the cause of corruption-free elections and administration. He is voicing against corruption in the administration and wants to bring it down to the zero level. He is also opposing distribution of money in the elections.

Lakshminarayana made an appeal to the people to reject money from the candidates in the coming general elections. He said that elections should be held in a free and fair manner and there should not be any scope for corruption.

The former CBI Joint Director had toured the entire state in the last three months. He also picked up some candidates for his party. He is likely to release the list of his candidates once the election commission issues notification for the general election.

Lakshminarayana contested for the MP seat from Visakhapatnam on Jana Sena in the 2019 general election. However, after the election, he parted ways with Pawan Kalyan. He remained neutral for some time and then floated the Jai Bharat National Party.

He opened his party office in Vijayawada and is running the party activities from here for the past three months. He thanked the Election Commission for giving him the common symbol for the Assembly and Parliament elections.

Normally former CBI officer JD is known to be very egalitarian and has never been known to involve in caste politics. Even at the height of his campaign in 2019 elections, he has never used the caste card. He was never known to mention his caste in any association or meeting. In fact, there was a deep debate over his caste but JD never even talked about the caste.

Though he had joined the Kapu dominated Jana Sena, he has never played caste politics and remained neutral. But such an egalitarian person is now in the eye of the storm for attending a caste based meeting. He has recently attended a meeting of the Kapu intellectuals, celebrities and politicians held at Hyderabad. MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao, former BJP state president Kanna Lakshminarayana and several others were present at the meeting. Even JD reportedly attended the meeting.

This came as a surprise to many of JD’s fans, who adore him cutting across caste lines. He has a strong following regardless of caste and creed. He has always maintained such a spotless image. Youth love him because of his character and never his caste.

Many analysts say that political compulsions are turning even such leaders as JD Lakshminarayana think of caste. Interestingly, even Lok Satta Jayaprakash too contested from Kukatpally, which is dominated by the people belonging to his caste.

After his defeat from the Vizag Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 elections, former CBI JD Lakshminarayana has told the people that he was here to stay in Vizag and that he would not run away from Vizag. He has also indicated that he would contest again from Vizag. Many thought this was an empty assurance of a defeated candidate.

But, it appears JD Lakshminarayana meant what he said. He appears determined to contest again from Vizag Lok Sabha seat in 2024. He has now shifted to Vizag, where he has already taken a house on rent. He is now working to consolidate his position in Vizag for 2024 elections. He has already filed a case against the privatization of the Vizag Steel Plant in the AP High Court.

Also, he is regularly holding consultations with the elite and intellectuals of Vizag on various issues pertaining to Vizag.. Sources say that he has already indicated to his close acolytes of his intention to contest again from Vizag. In the last elections, he contested on the Jana Sena ticket and ended up polling a handsome 2.80 lakh votes. He polled the highest number of votes from the Jana Sena. Though he had just 10 days to campaign, he could poll good number of votes.

This time around, he is not associated with any party. He is out of the Jana Sena. But he is said to be in touch with both the BjP and Jana Sena. Sources say that he could contest on a BJP ticket, but will also have the tacit support of the Jana Sena. Sources say that he may have a fair chance of winning if there is a TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance in 2024.

Former JD VV Lakshminarayana is currently touring the state of Andhra Pradesh to examine field level conditions of farmers and find solutions for their problems. Currently he is in Srikakulam district having interaction with farmers.

Yesterday he said, farmers’ committees need to be set up across the state. He started farmers’ meetings and during that occasion he spoke to media.

Former CBI JD Lakshmi Narayana said, “I am trying to make agriculture profitable. We will create special committees with farmers in the districts and educate them with farming practices in other states”. He also said he would announce his future plans within two months.

However it seems Lakshmi Narayana has a clear plan on his future political activity already. Currently he is meeting with farmers, understanding their problems and looking for solutions for those problems.Probably, once his tour is done, he will come up with elaborate plan for dealing with problems of farmers and measures needed to improve the plight of farmers. And then he may meet political parties like TDP, BJP or Janasena and ask them to include these points in their manifesto.

Also, he might have already decided on the party in which he wants to join, but not revealing at this moment even though media is speculating it will be either BJP or Janasena. He will make sure that party he is joining will include these points in their manifesto. By doing so, he will also get some mileage like he joined that political party with some particular purpose. Otherwise, people may think him like another bureaucrat who joined politics after his career.

-ZURAN