YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Sunday, 20 September launched a sharp attack on the TDP-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh, accusing it of deliberately sidelining Visakhapatnam's development to favour Amaravati — the capital city project championed by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The allegations were made at a press interaction in Visakhapatnam, drawing fresh attention to the city's ongoing drinking water crisis and broader governance disputes.

Key Allegations Against the Coalition Government

Former minister Gudivada Amarnath, speaking to reporters, alleged that Naidu has been 'misusing all platforms' to target YSRCP and its leadership rather than addressing pressing local issues. He claimed that the previous YSRCP government under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had distributed 1.30 lakh house site pattas, works under which were subsequently stalled by the current administration.

Amarnath further alleged that prime land in Visakhapatnam had been handed over to 'favoured few for a pittance,' with most beneficiaries reportedly being real estate companies. He also alleged the involvement of Minister Nara Lokesh's co-brother and a local Member of Parliament in what he described as a 'major land grab,' without providing documentary evidence at the event.

Drinking Water Crisis and Governance Failures

Central to YSRCP's critique was the acute drinking water scarcity in Visakhapatnam, which the party said persists even during the monsoon season — an unusual and severe situation for a coastal city. Amarnath alleged that Naidu 'did not bother to take corrective measures,' and that allowing the crisis to deepen could be a deliberate strategy to project Visakhapatnam negatively and redirect investment to Amaravati, which critics have described as Naidu's real estate project.

'All reservoirs have dried up, and the parched citizens were looking forward to some assurance from the Chief Minister, who has again disappointed and cheated them,' Amarnath said. The government has not publicly responded to these specific allegations.

House Site Pattas Row and Local Body Elections

YSRCP dismissed the coalition government's house site patta distribution drives as 'sheer drama' ahead of local body elections. Amarnath argued the political timing was transparent, noting that Naidu chose to train his rhetoric on YSRCP rather than address the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant issue or the water crisis during public platforms.

The Steel Plant's future remains a contentious issue in Andhra Pradesh, with workers and opposition parties demanding state government ownership and opposing privatisation moves. YSRCP's invocation of the issue signals it intends to anchor local electoral sentiment around industry and jobs.

Mining and Opposition's Broader Agenda

Amarnath also claimed that YSRCP had succeeded in stalling what he called 'illegal mining in the Panchadaral zone,' positioning the party as a defender of local resources against vested interests. He said the party would continue to take up 'all people's issues' as it rebuilds its political ground after its 2024 electoral defeat.

This latest salvo underscores that the Vizag-versus-Amaravati fault line remains one of Andhra Pradesh's most combustible political fault lines, with YSRCP calculating that Visakhapatnam's grievances — real or amplified — can be leveraged ahead of local body polls.