CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member B.V. Raghavulu has appealed to voters to elect the party candidate from Gajuwaka Assembly constituency M. Jaggunaidu, CPI nominee from Visakhapatnam West Assembly constituency Attili Vimala and Congress candidate from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency Satya Reddy to prevent the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).
Campaigning for the INDIA bloc candidates in a rally organised at Gajuwaka on May 9 (Thursday), Mr. Raghavulu said that the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections would decide the future of Andhra Pradesh, adding that there would be a triangular contest between the ruling YSRCP, the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance, and the Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and Aam Admi Party (AAP) which have joined the INDIA bloc.
He called upon the voters to make an informed choice about which of the three would do justice to the nation, State and the steel plant. “Only the INDIA bloc is committed to safeguarding the interests of Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
Mr. Raghavulu pointed out that the TDP was in power when the Modi government was preparing plans for the privatisation of VSP. “The Chandrababu Naidu government failed to oppose the move. The YSRCP, after coming to power, also did nothing in this regard,” he said.
Condemning the statements of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy claiming credit for stopping the Centre from going ahead with its decision to privatisatise the VSP, he said that the Centre could not go ahead with the decision due to the unified agitations of the workers of the steel plant. “The YSRCP government has given away its stake in the Gangavaram port to the Adani Group as part of a conspiracy to hand over the steel plant to the Adani Group,” he alleged.
“At the national level, all political parties of the INDIA bloc have extended their support to prevent the privatisation of the VSP. The victory of the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance will ensure the death of the steel plant,” said Mr. Raghavulu.
The victory of Mr. Jaggunaidu from Gajuwaka constituency and Mr. Satya Reddy from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat is essential to exert pressure on the Centre and the State governments to take the agitation forward. The victory of INDIA bloc candidates in other Assembly constituencies will strengthen the movement against the privatisation of the VSP, he said.
CPI(M) leader Ch. Narasinga Rao also spoke.
