Communist Party of India(Marxist) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat has said it is a shame that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has turned out to be stepney for the BJP, which is trying to foray into Andhra Pradesh. She said that both the car (BJP) and the stepney (TDP) will be defeated.
She was in the city on Sunday to drum up support for the INDIA bloc candidates in North Andhra districts.
CPI(M) leaders welcoming the party Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat in Srikakulam on Sunday.
Addressing a media conference on the occasion, Ms. Karat said that the TDP president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who had walked out of the NDA alliance, has once again joined hands with the BJP, despite the latter’s failure to implement the assurances given to the State in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised the establishment of a railway zone in Visakhapatnam, before the 2019 general elections,. Instead of getting the railway zone operationalised, the BJP was blaming the State government for its failure to allot land for the purpose. She also blamed the YSRCP government for failing to exert pressure on the Centre on implementation of assurances given to Andhra Pradesh. She also alleged that corruption was flourishing under the YSRCP rule.
Ms. Karat said that the Opposition unity, under the INDIA bloc, would ensure the victory of alternative policies. Many tribal, Dalit and people’s organisations were working together for the success of INDIA block. She expressed the suspicion that Mr. Naidu had joined hands with the BJP to ‘wash off his cases’.
The CPI(M) Polit Bureau member suspected a conspiracy by the Adani Group and the Central Government to sabotage the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) by preventing supply of coking coal to VSP through the Adani Gangavaram Port Limited (AGPL). She alleged that the workers of AGPL, who wanted to rejoin duties, were not being allowed into the port as part of the conspiracy on strategic sale of VSP.
Condemning the moves to stall the functioning of the steel plant, she demanded immediate resumption of the supply of coking coal. She also criticised the sitting MP and MLAs of Visakhapatnam for their failure to act on the issue.
‘Defeat BJP and alliance parties’
Meanwhile, Ms. Brinda Karat urged people to defeat BJP and its alliance parties TDP and JSP as they had failed to ensure Special Category Status and stop privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
She alleged that YSRCP was also silent on protecting the interests of the State as the party had indirect alliance with BJP which had been doing injustice to several States with its policies. Addressing the media conference in Srikakulam, she urged people to vote for INDIA bloc candidates to have better policies and administration at all levels.
Ms. Brinda Karat alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was adopting divide and rule policy for electoral gains while forgetting that he was supposed to protect all citizens irrespective of their caste, creed and religion.
The party State leader Ch. Narasinga Rao, the party Srikakulam district president D. Govinda Rao and others alleged that both YSRCP and TDP failed to develop Srikakulam district. They opposed establishment of atomic power plant at Kovvada of Ranasthalam mandal of the district. In the evening, the party organised a public meeting in Palakonda of Parvatipuram-Manyam district. Ms. Brinda Karat expressed concern over the issues of tribal people while referring to issues of Manipur and other places.
