VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to bring additional focus on its resolve to have three capital cities for Andhra Pradesh, ruling YSR Congress has asked its leaders and cadres to perform poojas and break coconuts at temples throughout the state on the occasion of Vijaya Dasami on Wednesday seeking blessings of Goddess Durga for overall decentralised development of AP.
Amaravati Parirakshana Samiti Joint Action Committee (APSJAC) was the first to bring in devotion and appeals to God for Amaravati as the sole capital. The committee, which has the backing of Telugu Desam and other opposition parties, organised a padayatra to Durga temple by women.
Then came the JAC’s Amaravati to Tirupati padayatra, which passed off smoothly. And currently, another yatra has already left Amaravati and is passing through coastal districts to reach Arasavilli, where there is a temple for the Sun God, wanting Amaravati as the only capital of AP state.
Ruling YSRC did not seriously highlight its decentralised capitals issue on a serious note. But with 2024 elections approaching, ruling party leaders have started organising their own all party meetings and roundtable conferences in coastal districts. Ministers and YSRC legislators are participating in them underlining the need for decentralised development.
With Dasara festivities now peaking, YSRC leaders have also decided to go devotional for Three Capitals. BC welfare minister Ch. Venugopala Krishna, former minister Kursala Kannababu and others said that everyone in the state should pray for decentralisation and break coconuts at all temples irrespective of caste and creed on the day of Vijayadasami.
They say there will be no better day than Vijaya Dasami for the purpose, when they can also pray to Goddess Durga for wisdom to TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, who has conspired to have the capital at Amaravati. They maintain that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is committed to development of Amaravati as the legislative capital, but would also like to have the executive capital at Visakhapatnam and judicial capital at Kurnool for decentralised development of the state.
YSRC general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said every party worker should offer special poojas in temples across the state seeking all round development of the state through three capitals.
He maintained that Amaravati as sole capital is nothing but Chandrababu Naidu’s real estate venture for 29 villages.
