Rally in Tirupati after Visakha Garjana: YSRCP targets TDP in Rayalaseema over three-capitals row

The ruling YSRCP has been consistently putting up an aggressive show of support to counter the TDP on its stance to have the state capital only at Amaravati.

YSRCP makes it about ‘self respect’

The  rally, organised by the YSRCP and called ‘Rayalaseema Atma Gourava Maha Pradarshana’, saw a massive gathering of people covering a distance of 3 kms from Krishnapuram Thana in Tirupati temple town. It passed through Gandhi Road and Tilak Road and culminated at the Municipal Corporation office.

NGOs, lawyers, public associations, intellectual forums, writers and student associations as well as the general public participated in the rally.

The march was supported by Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and MP Dr Maddila Gurumoorthy.

The rally in Tirupati is in addition to the JAC that has been planned by YSRCP in Rayalaseema on the lines of the one established in Vizag to back Visakhapatnam as the executive capital.

The colourful rally was marked by a sea of placards and banners stating that development was possible only with the establishment of three capitals in the state.

Many associations displayed placards thanking Chief Minister Jagan for honouring the “Sribagh Pact” which stated that capital needed to be established in the Rayalaseema region.

The Sribagh Pact is an agreement made between the political leaders of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions during the separate Andhra movement on November 16, 1937.

Historically, the Sribagh Agreement has been important to the people of the Rayalaseema region, as far as developmental issues are concerned, due to the attitude of the then Andhra leaders.

Lawyers too carried posters stating that Kurnool being named as the judicial capital would aptly stand as a pillar of “self-respect”.

Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy held a placard that read ‘Mana Atmagauravaṁ Kapaḍukundaṁ, Nyaya Rajadhani Sadhiddhaṁ’ (Let’s protect our self-respect and establish a judicial capital).

Just the beginning, says YSRCP

Overwhelmed by the turnout for the rally, Karunakar Reddy said, “This maha garjana is a reflection of the aspirations of the people of Rayalaseema. This is just the beginning. Development here is possible only with the establishment of a capital in Rayalaseema.”

“While Chief Minister Jagan is fulfilling the wish of the public to establish a judicial capital in Kurnool, Chandrababu Naidu is spreading false propaganda on decentralisation. He is afraid that he will lose his political relevance if all areas are developed equally. The rally in Visakhapatnam and now in Rayalaseema is proof enough of the people’s support for CM Jagan’s decision to establish three capitals,” he added.

Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, MP Maddila Gurumoorthy at the rally organised in Tirupati (Supplied)

Tirupati MP Gurumoorthy appealed to the Opposition parties to end politics over the establishment of the capital and heed the demands of the public.

“This rally is to put an end to selfish politicians who want to satisfy the demands of the real estate mafia and establish only a single capital. Rayalaseema has been discriminated against for a very long time and development is possible only with the establishment of a judicial capital here,” he said.

TTD Chairman and the chief minister’s uncle YV Subba Reddy thanked the public for turning up in huge numbers.

“Over a lakh, people joined the rally today. This in itself means a lot to us. YSRCP is a party of the people, for the people, by the people. The public is the real king. We will go out of our way to ensure that they get what they want. We promise they will realise their aspirations,” he asserted.

Anger against Amaravati farmers

Rayalaseema Intellectuals Forum (RIF) convenor, M Purushottam Reddy, who participated in the Tirupati rally expressed the doubt that the Amaravati farmers — who had launched a Maha Padyatra 2.0 to press for a single capital — were trying to create a wedge between North Andhra and Rayalaseema regions and their supporters.

Rayalaseema Intellectuals Forum (RIF) Convenor M Purushottam Reddy (Twitter)

“Amaravati farmers are spewing venom at the supporters of the judicial capital in Rayalaseema. They are asking us to oppose the executive capital, Vizag. During the Visakha Garjana, there were also slogans in support of Rayalaseema along with North Andhra,”  Purushottam Reddy told South First.

“But what is the agenda of Amaravati farmers and their JAC? They want everything to themselves. They are trying to create a wedge between Rayalaseema and North Andhra so that we fight among ourselves and they can take advantage and claim the entire capital for Amaravati.”

He added that, along with the high court, Rayalaseema deserves to have an IT corridor and construction of several irrigation projects.

TDP lashes out, questions YSRCP’s intent

TDP is unamused. Reacting to the Tirupati rally, TDP senior leader and former minister N Amarnath Reddy, questioned YSRCP’s, especially Bhumana Karunakara Reddy’s, “moral right” to speak about the region.

The former minister asked the 49 YSRCP MLAs representing the region as to what is that they have done for the development of Rayalaseema.

“When NT Rama Rao was the chief minister of the state, he laid the foundation for projects like the Telugu Ganga, the Galer-Nagari and the Handi-Neeva besides various measures to take the region forward”, he said.

“The YSRCP leaders do not have any commitment to the Rayalaseema region except that they do not want Amaravati to be the capital of the state,” Amarnath Reddy maintained.

“Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, who claims himself to be very close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, could not get even the clearance for the forest lands for the Galer-Nagari project.  Not even a single rupee was spent till now for the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator scheme,” Amarnath Reddy said.