Visakha roars as people showcase their might!

Visakhapatnam: Visakha Garjana, which witnessed huge mobilisation of people from various sections on Saturday, will become a test for the three capitals plan of the YSRCP government.

This was the first show of strength by YSRCP, three years after it spilled the beans on its stand rejecting Amaravati as the state capital. The ruling party pulled out all possible strings to showcase that people of this region are in favour of Visakhapatnam as executive capital.

Top leaders, including ministers spared no efforts to see that an army of students, employees, professionals, union and NGO representatives along with thousands of volunteers took out the rally notwithstanding the rain that played spoilsport. A large number of DWCRA women and others came in buses.

Amid incessant downpour, a team of artistes performed 'tappeta gullu' and other folk dances. The 3.7-km-long rally which began from Dr B R Ambedkar statue, Dabagardens culminated at Park Hotel junction, RK Beach. The rally began late due to bad weather. The participants were holding placards and raising slogans 'mana Visakha mana rajadhani'.

Tourism Minister RK Roja said, "There is a need to show Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu the exit door as they obstruct the development of North Andhra. Pawan Kalyan needs the package, while Naidu craves for power," she said.

Industries and IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath said that nothing would stop the movement of north Andhra people that aims at the region's development which was ignored for a long time.

TTD Chairman and Regional Coordinator YV Subba Reddy pointed out that Amaravati was declared as the sole capital to meet TDP's vested interests. But once the legal issues were settled, steps would be accelerated to make Visakhapatnam the executive capital.

Assembly Speaker Tammineni Seetharam alleged that the TDP neglected north Andhra gravely during its regime. Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao urged them to extend support to make Visakhapatnam the executive capital. Ministers Botcha Satyanarayana, Vidadala Rajini, Jogi Ramesh, and JAC leaders participated in the Garjana.