VIJAYAWADA: As Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari visited Vijayawada on Saturday, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) renewed its demand to name the Vijayawada West Bypass Road after late Kapu leader Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga.
APCC President YS Sharmila Reddy has written to both Union Minister Gadkari and CM N Chandrababu Naidu, requesting that the bypass road be named in Ranga’s honour. APCC vice-president Kolanukonda Shivaji echoed the demand during a press conference, urging coalition leaders to use their influence to ensure a long-overdue tribute.
Shivaji recalled that BJP national leader GVL Narasimha Rao had earlier urged the Centre to name the Vijayawada airport after Ranga, highlighting the leader’s widespread influence. The Congress also urged the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to construct a subway connecting Krishna Lanka Ranigari Thota to MG Road. The party called on Gadkari to take appropriate action.
Shivaji criticised political parties for leveraging Ranga’s image and flexing banners during elections to garner votes from his supporters.
He said leaders across party lines, regardless of caste, had benefited politically from Ranga’s legacy but never advocated for a meaningful tribute. He urged Ranga’s admirers to reflect on this and demanded that those who used his image for electoral gain fulfil the public’s longstanding call for recognition of his contributions.