Tensions Rise Over Vizag Film Club Land Issue; Ganta Confronts BJP MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju

Visakhapatnam:In a dramatic turn of events, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, MLA representing the Bheemili constituency, expressed his frustration towards Vishnu Kumar Raju, MLA for the North constituency, over the handling of the Vizag Film Club land issue. The dispute arose after Vishnu Kumar Raju submitted a file regarding the land lease to District Collector MN Harindra Prasad without Ganta’s signature.

The previous YSRC government had allotted five acres of land for the film club in the Bheemili constituency. However, a 33-year lease agreement that was supposed to be signed during the process has yet to be completed. Recently, Vishnu Kumar Raju enlisted the support of six other MLAs in the city to sign off on the matter and subsequently met the District Collector to submit the relevant file without consulting Ganta. This move sparked Ganta’s ire, as he questioned how Vishnu Kumar Raju could proceed without his approval and raised concerns about the project's lack of proper authorisation. Following the confrontation, Vishnu Kumar Raju offered a swift apology.

The heated exchange occurred near the GVMC headquarters gate after a meeting at the GVMC Council, where coalition corporators and MLAs had gathered to discuss a no-confidence motion against Deputy Mayor Jiyyani Sridhar. As Ganta prepared to leave, Raju approached him, leading to the tense interaction. This unexpected clash between the two MLAs overshadowed the celebrations surrounding the mayor and deputy mayor positions in the GVMC Council.