Anakapalle MLA Gudivada Amarnath from the YSR Congress Party said that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu and party national general secretary Nara Lokesh have no right to seek votes in Visakhapatnam. He also questioned how Mr. Naidu and other members of the TDP, who were opposed to the idea of making the city, the Executive capital, stalled the distribution of houses to the poor, created hurdles for building guest house and even attempted to damage the brand image of the city, were seeking votes in the GVMC elections.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Amarnath said that after facing a major defeat in Naidu’s own constituency Kuppam in the panchayat elections, Mr. Naidu and Mr. Lokesh have come to the city to campaign in the GVMC elections, with false narratives and fake promises. He alleged that TDP has no interest in developing Visakhapatnam or North Andhra region, but in turn looted the place for personal and political gains.
Mr. Amarnath also said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had written to the Prime Minister suggesting three alternatives to continue the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) as a public sector undertaking. The State will also move a resolution in the Assembly seeking the Centre to review its decision on privatisation. But, the TDP has no guts to raise its voice against the Centre, BJP or its ally Jana Sena Party, he said. The MLA also said that former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had prevented the privatisation of many such units in Visakhapatnam, but Mr. Naidu failed to take up the responsibility of protecting the VSP.
Mr. Amarnath said that Mr. Jagan had implemented every promise he made in the manifesto in these 20 months and the Opposition leaders were trying to stall developmental projects.
