Mood of Rayalaseema-No ‘three capitals’ issue in AP politics
·Political surveys completely ignored the issue · YSR Congress fails to get support from Vizag and Kurnool regions Patibandla Srinivas ([email protected]) Amaravati: Are the voters of Andhra Pradesh…
·Political surveys completely ignored the issue
· YSR Congress fails to get support from Vizag and Kurnool regions
Patibandla Srinivas
Amaravati: Are the voters of Andhra Pradesh including Rayalaseema not at all interested in the ruling dispensation’s flagship plan of three capitals?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Recent studies reveal that the three capitals issue is not in the agenda of the political parties. Interestingly, the political surveys and leaders of political parties including YSR Congress are not mentioning the issue seriously in public meetings also.
During the surveys conducted by several national and local organizations in view of the forthcoming elections, the people have not expressed any interest in the three capitals plan initiated by the YSRCP government. All organizations which conduct election surveys are only analyzing the impact of anti-incumbency and welfare schemes of the state government.
The three capitals plan is missing from the main agenda of the election promise of YSR Congress in the present political conditions. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is also not raising the three capitals plan in his recent party meetings and even in the last session of the Assembly. Only he announced his plan towards Vizag executive plan.
It may be recalled that the present government led by YSR Congress Party had taken an unprecedented decision to construct three capitals against the previous Telugu Desam government’s Amaravati capital plan after YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had taken charge as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
When he was leader of the opposition, he had openly extended his support to the Amaravati capital plan on the floor of the Assembly when the bill was passed.
Later, after assuming charge as the chief minister he changed his decision and made a surprising announcement again on the floor of the Assembly about three capitals—Amaravati as the legislative capital, Vizag executive capital and Kurnool judiciary capital. The announcement has shocked the farmers of Amaravati capital villages. The people of the Telugu community have raised eyebrows about the new proposal. Everyone thought that the proposal would create differences among people region-wise across the state. Initially, there was a doubt that the people of Rayalaseema and Northern states would extend support to YSR Congress since Vizag and Kurnool are proposed as capital cities. But contrary to the expectations of the leadership of YSR Congress party, the two regions of the state did not extend support to the proposal.
The landowners, who had given 33,000 acres of land for Amaravati’s capital, conducted Paadayatra up to Tirupathi to get blessings from Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy. They also organized public meetings in Tirupati with a single-point agenda i.e., Amaravati as the capital city. They successfully conducted the meeting without any opposition from the people of Rayalaseema. The incident virtually clarified the mindset of the region.
Similarly, they also conducted Paadayatra for Arasavelli temple in Northern Andhra from Amaravati. The landowners completed Paadayatra amidst YSR Congress leaders’ criticism and provoking incidents.
Following the developments, the YSR Congress had lost two MLC seats in Northern and Rayalaseema districts. The candidates of Telugu Desam had unexpectedly won teachers and graduates constituencies in the two regions. The election has proved that there is no support to YSR Congress party from the people of the area.
Moreover, all the political surveys also not consider the point as the winning factor in the forthcoming elections. The YSR Congress leaders are also not raising the issue.