YS Sharmila Criticizes PM Modi’s Visit to Visakhapatnam, Demands Fulfillment of Bifurcation Promises
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Visakhapatnam today, where he is set to inaugurate development projects worth over ₹2 lakh crore, has drawn sharp criticism from Andhra Pradesh Congress chief YS Sharmila. On social media, Sharmila strongly condemned the NDA government’s failure to fulfill its promises made during the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
Sharmila referred to promises made during a meeting in Tirupati, where Prime Minister Modi, in the presence of former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, had assured the people of Andhra Pradesh that the state would receive special status for ten years, a request that Naidu himself pushed to extend to fifteen years. Sharmila, however, pointed out that despite such grand declarations, these promises were never fulfilled, calling the special status issue a “political game” rather than a genuine commitment to the state’s development.
The Congress leader also took issue with the NDA government’s failure to deliver on several key aspects of the bifurcation agreement. She cited the unfulfilled backward region package, the lack of a capital city comparable to Delhi, and the stalled development of industrial corridors. Sharmila also criticized the continued delays in the completion of the Polavaram project, an important irrigation project for the state. Furthermore, she highlighted the government’s inaction in fulfilling the promise of establishing the Kadapa steel plant and the lack of protection for the Vizag Steel Plant, which is facing the threat of privatization.
Addressing the employment issue, Sharmila remarked on the stark contrast between the promises made and the reality faced by the people of the state. “Despite the annual promise of 2 crore jobs, not even one lakh jobs have been provided,” she noted.
Sharmila urged Prime Minister Modi to announce special status for Andhra Pradesh, clarify the government’s stance on the bifurcation promises, and make a clear commitment to safeguarding the Vizag Steel Plant from privatization. She also called on Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan to raise these critical issues during Modi’s visit.
The ongoing debate over these unfulfilled promises continues to dominate political discourse in the state, with many citizens hoping for clarity and tangible action from the central government during Prime Minister Modi’s visit.
