Gajuwaka Assembly constituency candidates Gudivada Amarnath (YSRCP) and Palla Srinivasa Rao (TDP) are at loggerheads over BJP’s stand on Visakhapatnam Steel Plant privatisation. They demanded an announcement from the BJP on the RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) privatisation proposal here on Saturday.
The BJP-led Union government announced its decision to disinvest in RINL-VSP in February 2021. Since then, cutting across party lines, local leaders and plant workers’ unions have been fighting to protect the plant from privatisation.
Since the RINL-VSP falls under the Gajuwaka Assembly segment of the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency, both YSRCP and TDP contestants made it a key poll issue.
Addressing an election campaign meeting here on his Assembly segment manifesto with the cadre and also representatives from the steel plant, Mr. Amarnath said, “I am ready to withdraw from the contest and also pave the way for the victory of my prime opponent TDP-JSP-BJP alliance party candidate Mr. Palla Srinivasa Rao if Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a clear statement that he will not privatise the Vizag Steel Plant, during his election meetings in Andhra Pradesh, especially the one in Anakapalli scheduled for Monday. Nothing is more important for me than saving the Vizag Steel Plant from privatisation.”
Countering Mr. Amarnath’s statement, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said: “Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy should first give such a statement to protect the Vizag steel plant. Salem Steel Plant in Tamil Nadu was saved from privatisation because of a firm stand and only because of a tough fight with the Centre by the local State government. The Jagan-led YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh has so far made no such efforts, but now its party nominee for the Gajuwaka Assembly segment, Mr. Amarnath, is expecting announcements from Prime Minister Modi, who is our alliance partner. This is baseless demand from my opponent, Mr. Amarnath.”
Mr. Srinivasa Rao added that the YSRCP government did not talk to the Adani Gangavaram port workers regarding the release of coking coal meant for the plant at the port due to the port workers’ strike, causing trouble to the steel plant. They could not resolve such a small issue so far, he added.
“These kinds of statements made by Mr. Amarnath will not work in elections. People already decided to send back the YSRCP this time, and our NDA will emerge as winner in the 2024 polls,” said Mr. Srinivasa Rao.
On the other hand, BJP sources said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Andhra Pradesh for the election campaign on May 6 and 8. Based on the provisional schedule, Modi will address election rallies and meetings in Rajahmundry, Anakapalli, Rajampeta, and Vijayawada.
“As his visit to Rajahmahendravaram is confirmed on May 6, and Anakapalli is close to that place, the Anakapalli programme for our leader C.M. Ramesh, is likely to be held at Tallapalem in Anakapalli on May 6 at around 6 pm,” said a close aide of Mr. Ramesh.
BJP state vice-president Bommula Dattu from Rajamahendravaram said that Mr. Modi will address the ‘Vijaya Sankharavam’ public meeting in Rajamahendravaram on May 6 at 3.30 pm at Vemagiri under Rajamahendravaram Rural Assembly Constituency.
