Andhra Pradesh: Left parties block NH in Vijayawada over fuel and gas hike

Left party activists staged a dharna in Vijayawada on Tuesday. | Photo credit: KVS Giri

Traffic on the busy state highway at Krishnalanka in Vijayawada came to a standstill for nearly 30 minutes on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) as Left party activists staged a blockade, protesting against rising prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.

CPI State Secretary K. Eswaraiah, CPI(M) State Committee Member Ch. Babu Rao, Liberation leader Harinath, New Democracy leader Venkateswarlu, SUCI leader Amarnath, MCPI(U) leader Khadar Basha, ML leader Veerababu and Red Flag leader Prasad Babu participated in the protest.

The protest was led by CPI(M) state committee member D. Kasinath and CPI Vijayawada city secretary G. Koteswara Rao.

The protesters accused the central and state governments of burdening the public by excessively taxing petroleum products. They alleged that the Center has collected nearly ₹40 crore in taxes from petroleum products in the last 12 years, while successive Andhra Pradesh governments have collected around ₹2.27 crore through VAT and other charges.

Rejecting claims that geopolitical tensions in West Asia justified repeated hikes in fuel prices, they argued that despite a fall in global oil prices compared to 2014 levels, domestic LPG, petrol and diesel prices have soared, putting a heavy burden on households.

Left leaders criticized the BJP-led union government and the NDA coalition in Andhra Pradesh, saying promises to cut fuel taxes have not been fulfilled. They also accused governments of favoring corporate interests and imposing higher taxes on fuels used by ordinary citizens.

They warned of intensified protests if the central and state governments did not respond to public concerns.

Published – 10 Jun 2026 12:28 IST