VIJAYAWADA: Anti and pro-Amaravati protests continued in different regions of the State on Saturday with the YSR Congress spearheading the movement supporting the shifting of capital to Visakhapatnam, while the TDP opposed the move.
Rallies were held and human chains were formed in North Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema districts in which YSR Congress MLAs, MPs and party activists participated, welcoming the three-capital idea.
Uttarandhra Abhivrudhi Vedika, Ex-servicemen’s Association and Star Walkers’ Club took out a rally in Srikakulam demanding setting up of executive capital in Vizag to promote balanced development. Later, they formed a human chain at Ambedkar junction in support of CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s three-capital idea.
Uttarandhra Abhivrudhi Vedika general secretary Chowdhury Laxmana Rao said that the North Coastal Andhra would develop in a big way if Visakhapatnam was made the executive capital. Exhorting people of the North Coastal Andhra to come out in support of the proposal, he said the political leaders who oppose Vizag as the executive capital will be treated as betrayers.
“After Sankranti, we will intensify our agitation demanding setting up of executive capital in Vizag,” he added.
A human chain was formed at Muralinagar in Visakhapatnam where slogans were raised demanding Vizag as executive capital. In a rally taken out from Gopalapatnam petrol bunk to NAD new road, Tourism Minister M Srinivasa Rao, YSRC coordinator Malla Vijaya Prasad and leaders Behara Bhaskar Rao and Sridhar Appalanaidu participated in support of the three-capital formula.
In East Godavari district, Kakinada city MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy led a massive rally in support of the three-capital proposal where he went vitriolic against former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan.
Along with MP Vanga Geetha, he held the rally from Two Town police station to Balaji Cheruvu centre. Speaking on the occasion, the MLA alleged that Naidu and his relatives purchased hundreds of acres surrounding Amaravati and that is why he is opposed to the proposal of shifting the capital to Visakhapatnam.
YSRC MP Margani Bharat held a rally along with his supporters from Kotagummam junction in Rajamahendravaram. A two-wheeler rally was taken out at Tanuku in West Godavari district welcoming the proposal.
In Kurnool, students and locals held a rally at Alur in which YSRC MLAs Katasani Rambhupal Reddy and Hafeez Khan participated.In Anantapur, a huge rally was taken out by youth and students from the Arts College to the Collectorate in which
BC Welfare Minister Malagundla Sankaranarayana and Government Whip Kapu Ramachandra Reddy, Hindupur MP Gorantla Madhav, MLAs Venkatrami Reddy, Topudurthy Prakash Reddy, MLCs Iqbal, Vennapusa Gopal Reddy participated.
Rallies in support of decentralisation of capital were also organised in a big way in Kadapa and Chittoor districts.