The resignation threat by the YSR Congress party MPs and MLAs from north coastal Andhra in support of the three capitals proposal of chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy reminds people of the days of the Samaikyandhra movement.
During the movement against the bifurcation of combined Andhra Pradesh, several MPs from the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema submitted their resignations from their posts to kick up a sentiment among the people to keep the state united.
The resignations began soon after the announcement by then Union home minister P Chidambaram on December 9, 2009, commencing the process for the formation of separate Telangana through a consultation process.
But none of the MPs actually quit their posts, as the resignations were conditional. Even after the then UPA cabinet took a decision in 2013 on the bifurcation of the state, they threatened to resign en masse, but nothing happened and finally, the state was bifurcated.
Now, the YSRC MPs and MLAs are enacting similar drama in support of the three capitals for the state and opposing Amaravati as the only capital.
While YSRC MLA from Chodavaram and government whip Karanam Dharmasri tendered his resignation in his own style, others like minister Gudivada Amarnath and former minister Avanti Srinivas also threatened to resign from their seats in support of the three capitals’ move with Visakhapatnam as the administrative capital.
The YSRC has decided to spearhead a big movement for developing Visakhapatnam as the executive capital city. It has taken initiative to form a non-political joint action committee (JAC) to lobby for the three capitals’ plan of the Jagan government.
The meeting decided to organise a massive rally in Visakhapatnam in the name of Visakha Garjana in support of decentraliasation on October 15. The rally will be taken out from Ambedkar statue in the city.
The JAC leaders said awareness programmes will be organised for a week in all constituencies to educate people on the need to have three state capitals for decentralised development.
But one wonders whether the formation of the JAC to fight for three capitals will fizzle out on the lines of the Samaikyandhra agitation, as, on the face of it, it appears to be a purely political game plan of the YSRC.
In Samaikyandhra movement, there were organisations and all political parties had supported the agitation. A large number of student groups and people’s organisations took part in the movement. Yet, they failed to stop the bifurcation.
But in the present movement for three capitals, there is no such emotional upsurge among the common people. Except the YSRCP, no other political party is extending support to them and even the newly-formed JAC is sponsored by the YSRC.
The reason is that there was never a demand from the people of Visakhapatnam for a capital city there. If there is any such emotional demand from them, there would have been spontaneous agitation by the people of north-coastal Andhra.
The YSRC is planning to kick up such a sentiment among the people. It remains to be seen whether it will be successful in building up a mass movement for the capital city or the agitation will fizzle out like Samaikyandhra movement.
