4 Left parties urge people to support bandh

Eluru: Four Left parties have called upon the people to participate in the State Bandh on February 8, in protest against the Centre’s discrimination of Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget allocations. The Left leaders, Chintakayala Babu Rao (CPM), U Venkateswara Rao (CPI- ML New Democracy), K Kannayya (CPI) and S Nagaraju (MCPI-U), addressed a media conference at CPM office here on Monday. 

They said that the BJP led NDA government at the Centre had done injustice to Andhra Pradesh by forgetting the assurances given to Andhra Pradesh. They pointed out that the BJP had assured that it would fulfil the promises of Andhra Pradesh by implementing every issue mentioned in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. Even after four years, no assurance was fulfilled by the NDA, they alleged.  

They accused the ally, TDP of failing to pressurise the BJP government at the Centre on the assurances. They alleged that the TDP risked the State’s interests for their political mileage.  

The Left parties’ leaders demanded that the Centre fulfil all the promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act, which includes the Railway Zone to Visakhapatnam, funds for the development of North Andhra and Rayalaseema areas and the construction of Steel Factory in Kadappa. They regretted that the Centre did not allocate funds to Polavaram project, even it was declared as a national project.

They announced that to pressurise the Centre, the Left parties would organise a Statewide Bandh on February 8. They called upon the people and merchant organisations to participate voluntarily in the Bandh in the interests of the State.The CPM city secretary P Kishore, district leader Gudipati Narasimha Rao, CPI city secretary P Kanna Babu, leader K Krishnamacharyulu participated in the media conference.