Left parties, AAP released joint manifesto for GVMC polls

Leaders of the Left parties and the Aam Aadmi Party released their joint manifesto for the GVMC elections at the CPI(M) district office in Maddilapalem, Visakhapatnam on Thursday. | Photo credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), MCPI and CPI (ML) ‘Praja Poru’ on Thursday released a joint manifesto for the November 1 Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) elections. They urged voters to defeat TDP-Jana Sena-B, all of whom YCP and Puriance-B are “anti-people politicians”.

The manifesto promises efforts to abolish the property tax based on capital value and prevent the annual 15% increase. It also seeks to introduce a property tax of ₹50 per annum, as stipulated by law, on houses built under government schemes. It pledges 150 liters of free drinking water per day for everyone and opposes the privatization of water supply systems and the installation of water meters on taps. The parties also promised to oppose data centers, resist any allocation of potable water to them, and seek to limit pollution from ports and pharmaceutical units. They added that they would demand the scrapping of GO Nos. 673 and 674, which they said paved the way for the privatization of civic services.

Other promises include a minimum wage of ₹26,000 for unorganized, outsourced and scheme workers, equal pay for equal work for the city’s contractual employees and measures to stop the sale of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP). The parties sought the cancellation of the permit for the Lulu Mall project with a science center and museum on site.

The statement was issued by CPI(M) district secretary M. Jaggu Naidu, CPI district secretariat member M. Pydi Raju and AAP district convener M. Ravi Bhaskara Rao. The joint meeting also decided to support independent candidates in wards 58, 60, 79, 119 and 120.

Published – 29 Oct 2026 23:24 IST