Post Regime Change, Renaming Row Erupts in AP

Visakhapatnam: The 2024 election results have sparked a new trend in Visakhapatnam with supporters of various political parties altering the names of public parks, viewpoints and other locations. This development has garnered significant criticism and negativity among the public, both online and offline.

The tradition of altering the names of hospitals, parks, colleges and other public landmarks every five years, coinciding with the formation of a new government, has been a longstanding practice in the region. Under the tenure of the TD, names like "NTR Memorial Trust" and "NTR Park" were prevalent, reflecting the party's iconic leader N.T. Rama Rao.

However, following the 2019 elections and the assumption of power by the YSRC, former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy initiated a controversial move to rename several landmarks after his father late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, under the "YSR" banner, leading to polarising reactions.

Following the fervent celebrations of the recent victory, supporters of the TD-Jana Sena-BJP NDA alliance have taken to altering these names, sparking a fresh wave of controversy. Videos surfaced on social media depicting the vandalism of nameplates and the removal of blocks on roads previously installed by opponents.

In Vijayawada, the nameplate of the YSR Health University was reportedly vandalised, and replaced with "NTR Health University" in an act of defiance.

Similarly, viewpoints along the beaches of Visakhapatnam were renamed "YSR Viewpoints," only to be swiftly changed to "Abdul Kalam Viewpoints" by members of the alliance party with the acts shared widely online.

Another such incident occurred at the Siripuram junction, where blocks were placed as a divider between the roads. These blocks were built by M.V.V.

Satyanarayana due to his private construction work on the road. However, after the alliance party's victory, Jana Sena and TD supporters removed the blocks, stating that they would not be deployed on the road for private work.

These videos were shared on social media platforms, garnering significant criticism. One user commented, "I will also become an MLA or MP and will name roads and parks on my name." Another critic stated, "This is very nice, these are public spaces and not be changed according to their missions."

Offline vendors like Bharti expressed frustration, stating that every 3-4 years, the names of these public spaces change, causing confusion. "These are public spaces and should have a particular name," Bharti said. "The government should take some action against these changes."