BJP MLA Vishnukumar Raju from Visakhapatnam district has not been hiding his disappointment lately.
He represents Visakhapatnam North constituency for the second time as a BJP MLA. No other BJP MLA from North Andhra has achieved this record.
It is being said that after winning for the second time, Raju expected a place in the Cabinet.
Earlier, he had openly expressed displeasure, pointing out that even with eight BJP MLAs, the party got only one Cabinet berth.
He also recalled that in 2014, when BJP had four MLAs, two of them became ministers.
This time, he is keen to get a ministerial post as he may not contest elections again. Social and political equations are also in his favour.
No Kshatriya leader has been given a Cabinet berth, and there is also no minister from Visakhapatnam Urban district yet.
One Cabinet berth is still vacant, and Raju seems to be strategically pushing his case.
Despite being part of the alliance government, he hasn’t hesitated to speak his mind.
Recently, he created a stir by saying that the Google data center in Vizag will not generate lakhs of jobs, contradicting TDP leaders who claimed otherwise.
Interestingly, YSRCP leaders have also been making similar statements. This has left alliance leaders puzzled, trying to understand the real message behind Raju’s comments.