Visakhapatnam: Foes to fight together for rail zone

Visakhapatnam: Tweaking its strategy in its fight for a separate railway zone at Visakhapatnam, the district YSRC unit has decided to seek the co-operation of other parties, including the Congress, CPI, CPM and other like-minded groups, ahead of its indefinite hunger strike from April 14.

After the recent Railway Budget as well as the Union Budget waved an empty hand, the YSRC district unit gave an ultimatum to the government that they would launch a fast unto death if a railway zone was not accorded to Visakhapatnam before April 14.

The party seems to be swiftly moving in the direction it had proposed. On Tuesday, district YSRC chief Gudivada Amarnath and other leaders met APCC general secretary Dronamraju Srinivas and CPM leaders, seeking their support.

Mr Amarnath, who was in Hyderabad on Wednesday to discuss ongoing issues with party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, said, “We got an apparently positive response from both Congress and CPM and will meet the CPI leaders on Thursday.

We will gather together intellectuals, people’s groups, NGOs, employee unions and others under one umbrella for this, a cause that concerns north coastal Andhra Pradesh. We will also chair a round table conference with all parties on April 6, said Mr Amarnath, who met party supremo Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday. “A delegation of MPs will also participate in the hunger strike besides Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy,” he added.

In the run-up to the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation elections, the indefinite hunger strike is being perceived as something that will boost the image of the YSRC and strengthen its base in the north coastal Andhra Pradesh districts.

“As the separate railway zone had become a sentimental issue with the people of Visakhapatnam and north coastal Andhra Pradesh, the YSRC could score some brownie points through the hunger strike for the zone,” added a political observer.

Mr Amarnath pointed out that despite their continuous efforts and protests in New Delhi and AP for the separate railway zone, “The Union government didn’t budge a millimetre from its stand. Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, fearing charges for the vote-for-cash scam, had bowed before the Union government.

In the meanwhile, TDP and BJP leaders have been cheating the people with false promises. The new zone can resolve various problems in the region and generate employment.”