VIJAYAWADA: Political storm will be centred over Visakhapatnam on Saturday and Sunday, with three major parties of Andhra Pradesh – ruling YSR Congress, main opposition Telugu Desam and Jana Sena conducting separate programmes in the port city.
Non-political JAC with full backing of YSRC has called for “Visakha Garjana (Roar of Vizag)” on Saturday demanding setting up of the executive capital of Andhra Pradesh at Visakhapatnam. Its organisers claim more than one lakh people from all north Andhra districts will be attending the rally in Vizag.
TD has also decided to conduct a meeting of its leaders and cadres belonging to north Andhra districts on the day. At the same time, Pawan Kalyan will be reaching Visakhapatnam on Saturday for his party’s Prajavani programme.
When farmers of Amaravati took out their padayatras to religious places Indrakeeladri Durga and Tirumala temples, with tacit backing of Telugu Desam, they had passed off without much opposition. This enthused them into launching another yatra from Amaravati to Arasavalli, where there is a Sun Temple.
Comparatively, the Arasavalli yatra has been facing much more opposition from locals, particularly NPJAC and YSRC supporters. In particular, YSRC high command has intensified its campaign for decentralised development. As part of it, the party will take out a 3.5-kilometre long procession from Ambedkar Statue at LIC building, which will culminate into the Visakha Garjana public meeting at YSR statue near RK Beach.
Ruling party ministers, legislators and non-political JAC leaders will be in attendance at the garjana. The rally will be addressed by several intellectuals, social activists, businessmen, students and academics to highlight the need to have the administrative capital at Visakhapatnam.
Alert about the possible political fallout, TD post haste called for a meeting of all its party leaders and functionaries from the three north-coastal districts at Visakhapatnam. The in-charges of TD’s north Andhra districts, MLAs, MP candidates and other seniors will highlight what all Naidu government has done for developing Visakhapatnam as a business and industrial capital, including making it an information technology destination.
TD sources say the party will prepare a comprehensive white paper on what Naidu had done for Visakhapatnam and widely circulate it among people.
Cine Actor and Jana Sena leader Naga Babu arrived at Vizag on Friday to make arrangements for programmes of his brother Pawan Kalyan. According to reports, the popular actor will reach Visakhapatnam on Saturday evening and go out in a procession from the airport. He will preside over the party’s “Prajavani” programme at Vizag on Sunday. These programmes have already been held at Vijayawada, Tirupati and other places. The film actor is also expected to hold a road show in the port city and lash out against Jagan government over land grab.
