Tirupati: Candidates pick stalled projects to woo voters

Tirupati: Mannavaram BHEL plant, Dugaragajaptnam port, airport development and Garuda Varadhi in Tirupati have become major issues during the campaign for byelection to be held on Saturday.

The YSRCP, TDP, BJP and Congress have focussed on these issues among other things during their campaign assuring that these will be their top priorities.

The NTPC-BHEL power project at Mannavaram near Srikalahasti was started in 2010 by then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The project worth of Rs 6,000 crore, aimed at providing employment to 25,000 people was considered as a game changer in Rayalaseema region. Then MP Dr Chinta Mohan was instrumental in getting the project to the district.

Since the importance for solar power has been on rise, the demand for thermal power equipment has come down and plant received very less orders from the beginning. The Opposition parties have been alleging that the NDA government did not explore the options to revive it with alternate proposals due to which it has to be closed.

All four candidates – M Gurumoorthy(YSRCP), Panabaka Lakshmi(TDP), K Ratna Prabha (BJP) and Chinta Mohan(Congress) have mentioned the plant issue during the campaign and vowed to fight for reviving it.

Dugarajapatnam port has become another major political slogan for all the parties. Saying that it was in the bifurcation promise, the candidates said that they will fight for its completion in the Parliament. Even the BJP candidate said that the Centre is determined to complete it.

Keeping in view the importance of completing Garuda Varadhi project which is slowed down due to funds shortage, the candidates used it for electioneering as an opportunity to impress the voters with their commitment for its speedy completion. Tirupati airport development has become another poll plank which the parties have used in their own style. Though it attained international status almost five years back, no flight was operated abroad from here. The candidates have assured that they will focus on it and remove the bottlenecks if they get elected.

Tirupati railway station development which was pending for the last three years, getting more funds for the Central government institutes IIT and IISER which were established as part of bifurcation promise, completion of Nadikudi-Srikalahasti railway line works for which land acquisition is still pending at some places, bringing in more industries to Sri City SEZ, providing 75 per cent employment opportunities to locals in Sri City are some of the other issues mentioned by some candidates in their campaign. On the other hand, CPM candidate Nellore Yadagiri mainly focussed on farmers' issues and Centre's anti-people policies towards public sector units.