BJP participates in Maha padayatra, demands Amaravati as only capital
VIJAYAWADA: Reiterating her party’s stand that Amaravati should remain the capital of Andhra Pradesh, BJP national general secretary D Purandeswari asserted that the BJP, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will work towards ensuring justice to the capital region farmers. The senior party leaders, who participated in the Maha Padayatra being undertaken by Amaravati farmers to extend support to their fight, alleged that the YSRC government deliberately stopped the capital construction in the guise of decentralisation of development, and assured the farmers that the BJP would participate in the walkathon in every district from here on.
On Sunday, the BJP leaders met the agitating farmers on the 21st day of the padayatra in Kavali of Nellore district and extended ‘complete support’. On the occasion, Purandeswari said that the BJP was always in favour of Amaravati and reminded that the party passed a political resolution in support of the same. “The BJP has always been in support of Amaravati. However, we did not actively partake in the fight as the matter was sub-judice in the High Court. Now that the court said the padayatra could be held and after our recent discussion with Union home minister Amit Shah in Tirupati, we decided to join the farmers’ padayatra,” Purandeswari said.
She also said that her party’s commitment to AP’s capital was evident from the fact that the BJP-led Centre has released `2,500 crore for essential infrastructure development in the capital, besides several other projects like Anantapur-Amaravati expressway, Amaravati outer ring road, AIIMS in Mangalagiri, flyovers in Vijayawada and a bridge across River Krishna. Purandeswari also demanded that the YSRC government fulfill the commitment of giving developed plots to 23,000 Amaravati farmers.