Vijayawada: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his YSR Congress are making the north Andhra-Vizag region as the epicentre for the party’s campaign and battle for the next elections so as to ensure a resounding victory for the YSRC in the 2024 general elections.
Jagan Reddy as CM started several development projects for Uttandhra and Vizag and his government would start working from Vizag from September.
Similarly, Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena founder K Pawan Kalyan and BJP are also concentrating on north Andhra-Vizag with the aim of winning the 2024 elections. Notably, the seats of North Andhra, Vizag and the coastal region played crucial roles in every election.
In the 2019 assembly elections, out of the total 34 assembly segments in three districts of north Andhra, the YSRC won 28 seats and TD six. Uttarandhra was a bastion to the TD since the formation of the party but it faced a humiliating defeat in the 2019 elections. Now, Chandrababu and Pawan are frequently visiting north Andhra and Vizag to attract the masses.
The chief minister, who has been struggling to shift the executive capital to Vizag for the past three years, due to legal hurdles, planned to take forward development projects and start administration from Vizag in September.
In the 2019 elections, the YSRC got 49.32 per cent of votes in the erstwhile Srikakulam district, 51.51 per cent in Vizianagaram, 44.26 per cent in Visakhapatnam, 43.48 per cent in East Godavari and 46.35 per cent in West Godavari district. The TD scored 42.67 per cent in Srikakulam, 39.47 per cent in Vizianagaram, 36.74 per cent in Visakhapatnam, 36.76 per cent in East Godavari and 36.30 per cent in West Godavari.
Interestingly, in 2019, the Jana Sena got a double digit voting percentage of 14.84 per cent and 11.68 per cent in East and West Godavari districts.
The chief minister is giving top priority to development of north Andhra and Vizag and has instructed ministers and legislators to go to the masses, explaining them about the development push for the region by the YSRC government and asking them to support the party in the coming elections. The CM is hopeful of changing the political scenario to YSRC’s advantage after starting administration from Vizag.
Jagan Reddy is giving top preference to Vizag and held the Global Investors Summit on March 3 and 4, in which famous industrialist and business tycoons participated. Further, the G-20 meeting is also held on March 28 and 29.On April 19, Jagan laid the foundation for the Mulapet (Bhavanapadu) port in Srikakulam district. He also laid the stone for the Vamsadhara upliftment scheme, the fishing harbour Budagatlapalem in Etcherla mandal and the Mahendratanaya offshore reservoir project works.
On May 3, the CM laid the foundation for Bhogapuram International Airport, the Taraka Rama Thirtha Sagaram Project works, the Chintapalli Fish Landing Centre on the shores of Chintapalli in Pusapatirega mandal located in the middle of the Vizianagaram-Vizag-Srikakulam districts and performed Bhumi Puja for the Adani Data Centre in Vizag.
The chief minister would visit Vizag on May 11 for opening the Sea Harrier Museum. He would also open a 200-bed super specialty hospital and research centre in Srikakulam in June to solve the problem of kidney ailment for the region’s people. He would start a specially arranged fresh water supply scheme for kidney patients in Uddhanam.
The foundation stone for the tribal university in Vizianagaram district would be laid by the CM in July. He would also inspect the works on the medical college buildings in Vizianagaram.
The foundation stone of the six-lane national highway between Vizag and Bhogapuram would be laid by Jagan in August.
Importantly, the CM would start the state’s administration from Vizag in September and he is making all efforts to consolidate the YSRC bases in North Andhra and Vizag and the coastal districts.
Naidu, who is striving hard to win back his past glory through Idemi Kharma meetings, has visited north Andhra, Vizag and the coastal region several times and is currently touring Anakapalli district from May 16 to 18. Pawan, who recently visited Uttarandhra, is also planning a tour to north Andhra and Vizag under a political action plan.
