With Visakha Garjana, Vizag roars in support of Jagan’s three-capitals plan, rallies for executive capital

Despite the persistent rain, the crowds swelled as the rally progressed from Dr BR Ambedkar’s statue in Dabagardens.

Countering the Maha Padayatra

“Visakha Garjana was planned to send a strong message that the people of the north Andhra region want the executive capital to be located in Visakhapatnam. The three-capitals plan is an opportunity
for us to grow and bring development to this region which has been lagging behind on all parameters
and aspects,” said JAC chairman Prof Hanumanthu Lajipathi Rai.

Huge crowds gathered for the Visakha Garjana rally.(Supplied)

He added that Visakha Garjana is only the beginning of the outreach and campaign the JAC had planned in the coming days.

The rally is a bid to to turn the tide of public opinion against the Amaravati farmers’ agitation, which is all set to enter Visakhapatnam in the next few days. YSRCP has charged that the padayatra by the farmers is led by realtors — who will benefit from a single capital in Amaravati — with tacit support from the opposition TDP.

“Opposition parties, especially the TDP, are misleading the people on the government’s three-capitals plan. It is not that we are snatching away something from Amaravati. It is that we are adding two more capitals to the state to decentralise governance and ensure even development,” said YV Subba Reddy, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s uncle.

“Amaravati still continues as the legislative capital. Today’s huge response to Visakha Garjana and the massive participation by only shows the strong intent and sentiment of people in this part of the state,” added Subba Reddy, who is also the YSRCP’s north Andhra regional coordinator.

3-capitals matter in court

The three-capitals plan of the Jagan government has been mired in controversy ever since it was
announced and is currently caught in a legal tangle.

TTD chairman and YSRCP north Andhra in-charge YV Subba Reddy at the Visakha Garjana rally. (Supplied)

In early March, the Andhra Pradesh High Court delivered its judgment on a batch of petitions filed
by farmers — who had parted with their land for the construction of a proposed greenfield capital Amaravati —
opposing Jagan Mohan Reddy’s plan to create three new capitals instead of one.

But the high court bench struck down the move, observing that the Andhra Pradesh Assembly had no
legislative competence to enact any law shifting the three organs of the state.

Six months after the high court struck down the three-capitals plan, the Jagan government, on 17 September, filed a special leave petition (SLP) with the Supreme Court challenging the high court’s order. And there the matter rests at the moment.

Opposition gives Visakha Garjana a miss

All the Opposition parties opposed to the three-capitals plan avoided the Visakha Garjana as they believe that it was a move to stymie the gathering momentum for a single capital at Amaravati and sabotage the purpose of the Maha Padayatra.

In a counter to the YSRCP-backed Visakha Garjana, the TDP’s Vizag unit held a roundtable meeting where it discussed development issues of North Andhra.

Women participants at the Visakha Garjana rally. (Supplied)

The participants at the round table were drawn from all the districts of North Andhra who contended that the region has been neglected by the current government during its three years in power. They also said North Andhra had witnessed real development during the TDP regime.

Adding fuel to the already raging fire, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan has openly questioned the need for the Visakha Garjana, even as he began a tour to Vizag and other North Andhra towns on Saturday.

“Pawan Kalyan needs Visakhapatnam to learn acting and to contest elections. And he also needs Visakhpatnam to marry, but not as the location of the executive capital. This is nothing but dual standards. North Andhra people are watching everything and will give a befitting reply to him,” said Tourism Minister, RK Roja, an actor-turned-politician from Rayalaseema.

Pawan Kalyan had learned acting before his foray into movies at a movie institute run by one Satyanandam at Vizag. He unsuccessfully contested from the Gajuwaka Assembly segment under Vizag district in the 2019 elections. Pawan Kalyan’s first marriage was with a girl from Vizag, whom he divorced later.

జగన్ రెడ్డి చెప్పే మాటలు వేరు. చేసే పనులు వేరు. తాను విశ్వసనీయతకి మారు పేరు అని సెల్ఫ్ డబ్బా కొట్టుకుని నాడు మద్యనిషేధం హామీ ఇచ్చిన జగన్.. నేడు సొంతంగా విషమద్యం అమ్ముతూ జనం ప్రాణాలపై కోట్లు దండుకుంటూ. "విషపు"నీయత కోరలు చాచారు.(1/3) pic.twitter.com/GIFgYnJsyn

— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) October 15, 2022

Good Morning @ysjagan

"మాట తప్పే గర్జన.. మడమ తిప్పే గర్జన.. ప్రజలని ముంచే గర్జన" అని పెట్టుకో. pic.twitter.com/NuvEkwh3ij

— Telugu Desam Party (@JaiTDP) October 15, 2022

దేనికి గర్జనలు?

‘సంపూర్ణ మద్య నిషేధం’ అద్భుతంగా అమలు చేస్తున్నందుకా? ‘మద్య నిషేధం’ ద్వారా ఏటా రూ.22 వేల కోట్లు సంపాదిస్తున్నందుకా? ‘మద్య నిషేధ’ ఆదాయం హామీగా రూ.8 వేల కోట్లు అప్పు తెచ్చినందుకా?

— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) October 10, 2022