Palla hits out at YSRCP for its ‘Save Vizag’ campaign.

TDP president AP Palla Srinivasa Rao, who saw YSR Congress party’s ‘Save Vizag’ slogan in the municipal elections, criticized the previous five-year YSRCP regime for neglecting the development of Visakhapatnam.

“YSRCP leaders, who cannot cite any significant development work done in Visakhapatnam and North Andhra when they were in power, are now trying to deceive the public with the ‘Save Vizag’ campaign,” he said.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that several valuable land transactions in Visakhapatnam had become controversial during the previous regime. He demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations surrounding Bay Park, Rushikonda IT Hill, Lulu project lands, Waltair Club, Ramanaidu Studios, MANSAS Trust, Daspalla lands and Sheelanagar area lands.

“The previous government failed to push through industrial projects and investment proposals earmarked for Visakhapatnam. The failure to push through proposals involving companies like Lulu and Franklin Templeton, the weakening of the Fintech Valley and the difficulties surrounding the AMTZ cost the state valuable opportunities,” he said.

He also criticized the previous regime for failing to make expected progress on key projects, including the Bhogapuram Airport, Tribal University and Petroleum University.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao claimed that the coalition government was pursuing a planned approach to transform Visakhapatnam into an internationally recognized city.

The TDP leader accused the YSRCP leader of spreading misinformation about Google’s investments and data center projects in an attempt to create doubt among the public. Attracting investment to Visakhapatnam and expanding employment opportunities for the youth are vital to the state’s interests, he said.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao reiterated that the coalition government’s priority is to transform Visakhapatnam into a world-class city, accelerate the growth of IT and technology sectors and ensure a brighter future for North Andhra.

He thanked industrialist Anand Mahindra for bringing the scenic beauty of Gangavaram beach to the attention of a wider global audience. He said such initiatives would help Visakhapatnam’s natural attractions gain international recognition and give further impetus to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of transforming the city into a world-class urban center by integrating its natural wealth with modern technology.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said Visakhapatnam’s hills, coastline and rocky landscape are among its greatest natural assets, while the city also offers considerable potential for rapid expansion of technology-driven industries. The coalition government’s aim was to develop Visakhapatnam as a city where nature and progress went hand in hand and make it the “San Francisco of the East”, he said.

Published – 26 Oct 2026 21:10 IST