‘Capital’ fear may have added to YSRCP rout in North Andhra

Visakhapatnam : It is quite apparent from the voters’ verdict declared on Tuesday that the people of North Andhra strongly stood against the three capitals proposed by the YSRCP government.

Not many were open to making the otherwise peaceful Visakhapatnam as the executive capital of the state. As a result, the YSRCP left no trace in North Andhra.

In the pretext of decentralisation, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government introduced the three capitals to destabilise Amaravati deliberately. Ever since coming to power, the YSRCP has been reiterating that the government was keen on decentralisation which eventually led to its downfall. Ignoring hardships of the Amaravati farmers, who sacrificed thousands of acres of land for the state capital, caused irrevocable damage to the YSRCP.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has repeatedly said in investors’ summits and conferences that it would cost Rs.1 lakh crore to build a capital in Amaravati as the land there is fertile, but it would take Rs.10,000 crore for Visakhapatnam to be developed as an international city.

“However, people did not buy the proposal and showed no interest in making an already developed Visakhapatnam district into the administrative capital. In fact, Vizag has become more crime prone in recent years,” said BS Rao, an entrepreneur.

YSRCP tried to create a wide campaign that Uttarandhra will be developed if Visakhapatnam district is made the administrative capital. Massive rallies were taken out by the party leaders much against the will of the people.

Plus, land scams highlighted by the Opposition in recent times led to a sense of fear among people.

Also, there was strong opposition to the construction of the ‘luxurious’ CMO at Rushikonda, violating norms and investing Rs.500 crore in the pretext of a tourism project. The Opposition party leaders were restricted from entering the vicinity of Rushikonda which did draw heavy criticism among various sections of people.

This apart, increase in ganja and drug abuse in Visakhapatnam has become a cause for concern as the government failed in controlling their free flow and consumption in the district. As a result, the YSRCP could not win even a single seat in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.

After witnessing several such mistakes committed by the YSRCP government, the alliance government should consider enough care not to make similar blunders right from the beginning of its governance in the state.