JSP candidate withdraws from contest in Visakhapatnam

Hyderabad, May 6 (IANS) A few hours before polling, Jai Samaikyandhra Party (JSP) candidate for Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency Sabbam Hari withdrew from the contest and declared his support to BJP-TDP alliance candidate.

Sabbam Hari Tuesday announced his resignation from JSP, floated recently by former chief minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy.

The former MP declared support to Bharatiya Janata Party's Andhra Pradesh unit president Hari Babu, who is the candidate of BJP-Telugu Desam Party (TDP) alliance.

He told reporters that he was withdrawing from the contest to prevent division of anti-Congress and anti-YSR Congress party votes. He urged people to vote for the BJP-TDP combine for comprehensive development of Seemandhra.

Visakhapatnam is among 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Seemandhra going to polls Wednesday. Polling will also be held for 175 assembly seats.

YSR Congress party's honorary president Y. S. Vijayamma is contesting from Visakhapatnam.

Sabbam Hari was one of the six MPs expelled by the Congress party early this year for stalling the Telangana bill in parliament. He along with two others later joined JSP.

Elected from Anakapalle on Congress ticket in 2009, Sabbam Hari was sailing with YSR Congress after the party was floated by Jaganmohan Reddy in 2010. However, he was not inducted into the party after he made certain remarks against Jaganmohan Reddy.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Sabbam Hari. The party alleged that he violated the election rules.