Political heat rises in Vizag

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam has become the focal point for all political parties and their activities. It's also clear that the issue of three capitals will be the agenda for the YSRCP in the next general elections.

While the YSRCP proposes to go aggressively opposing the capital in Amaravati and hold a Garjana (roar) on the seashore on October 15, the Jana Sena Party proposes to hold its party training meeting for three days from October 15 in Visakhapatnam. Though the meeting is said to be for political training of the cadre, the issue of Mahapadayatra and Garjana will prominently figure.

Both the Garjana and Jana Sena's meeting would coincide with the entry of Amaravati farmers who are on Padayatra to Arasavalli's Sun temple in Srikakulam district. Interestingly, Pawan Kalyan on Monday tweeted questioning YSRCP to explain for what reason they want to hold the Garjana? Was it for not giving fee reimbursement or for diverting funds from foreign education schemes or for making the state as c/o address for ganja, for not laying roads, for hiking power charges and fixing meters on agriculture pumpsets. He also questioned why JAC was formed.

Minister Amarnath retorted saying that Pawan makes different statements from different platforms. YSRCP will go to polls with three capital issue as its agenda. Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana appealed to the party leaders to make 'Visakha Garjana' a grand success and support the proposal to make Visakhapatnam the executive capital. "Amaravati farmers took out padayatra to loot the state. But we follow and stick to development because decentralisation is the way forward," Botsa said.

He however did not support the idea of resignations by party leaders. He opined that resignations for the three capitals doesn't fetch any good. He also said that Mahapadayatra will not be blocked though he too believes that it was political padayatra. He asked BJP to clarify if they were in favour of executive capital or not.

Reacting to it, BJP state president Somu Veeraraju said that the BJP stand was very clear that Amaravati should be the capital. Decentralisation of development does not mean having three capitals. He questioned why the revenue minister or Botsa failed to get Rs 200 crore released for completion of Vamsadhara phase-3 works and why they could not get the closed factories reopened. YSRCP ministers and leaders of North Andhra should resign on this issue.