The upcoming 2024 general elections in India are expected to be hotly contested, with political parties already gearing up for battle. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his YSR Congress party are making the north Andhra-Vizag region the epicentre of their campaign, with the aim of securing a resounding victory in the polls. However, other parties such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are also focusing their efforts on this region to win the upcoming elections.
North Andhra and Vizag have played crucial roles in every election, and the results of the 2019 assembly elections attest to this fact. In the three districts of north Andhra, the YSR Congress won 28 seats, while the TDP won only six. This was a significant shift, as Uttarandhra had been a stronghold for the TDP since the party’s formation.
The YSR Congress’s success in the 2019 elections can be attributed to its focus on development in the region. The party won 49.32% of votes in the erstwhile Srikakulam district, 51.51% in Vizianagaram, 44.26% in Visakhapatnam, 43.48% in East Godavari, and 46.35% in West Godavari district. In contrast, the TDP received 42.67% of votes in Srikakulam, 39.47% in Vizianagaram, 36.74% in Visakhapatnam, 36.76% in East Godavari, and 36.30% in West Godavari.
Jana Sena also made a strong showing in the 2019 elections, receiving double-digit voting percentages in East and West Godavari districts. As a result, Jagan Reddy and his government have made the development of north Andhra and Vizag a top priority. The Chief Minister has instructed his ministers and legislators to go to the masses and explain to them about the development push for the region by the YSRC government, asking them to support the party in the coming elections.
Jagan Reddy has also planned several development projects for Uttandhra and Vizag, which will be implemented starting in September. In March, he held the Global Investors Summit, which saw the participation of famous industrialists and business tycoons. The G-20 meeting was also held on March 28 and 29. On April 19, Jagan laid the foundation for the Mulapet (Bhavanapadu) port in Srikakulam district. He also laid the stone for the Vamsadhara upliftment scheme, the fishing harbour Budagatlapalem in Etcherla mandal, and the Mahendratanaya offshore reservoir project works.
On May 3, the CM laid the foundation for Bhogapuram International Airport, the Taraka Rama Thirtha Sagaram Project works, the Chintapalli Fish Landing Centre on the shores of Chintapalli in Pusapatirega mandal, and performed Bhumi Puja for the Adani Data Centre in Vizag. He also plans to open a 200-bed super specialty hospital and research centre in Srikakulam in June to solve the problem of kidney ailments for the region’s people.
Moreover, the Chief Minister plans to lay the foundation stone for the tribal university in Vizianagaram district in July. He would also inspect the works on the medical college buildings in Vizianagaram. The foundation stone of the six-lane national highway between Vizag and Bhogapur