Parties face voter discontent in Vizag-East

For over a decade, Visakhapatnam East has stood as a stronghold for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). However, despite consecutive victories, residents are disillusioned by unmet promises and stalled projects. As the electoral battle heats up once again, three contenders vie for the constituency’s favour. The TDP, represented by incumbent MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, seeks to retain its grip on Visakhapatnam East, where it has secured victory for the past three terms.
Meanwhile, the YSRCP has nominated Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanarayana, posing a formidable challenge to TDP’s dominance. The Congress has thrown its hat into the ring with Guthula Srinivas Rao as its candidate.
In the previous elections in 2019, Ramakrishna Babu secured a hat-trick victory for the TDP, defeating Akkaramani Vijaya Nirmala of the YSRC by a margin of 26,474 votes. However, in the corresponding Lok Sabha elections, YSRC candidate MVV Satyanarayana emerged victorious with a narrow margin of 4,414 votes, defeating M Sri Bharat of the TDP.
The constituency boasts significant landmarks such as Andhra University, Kailasagiri, MVP Colony, Health City, and the central prison. Its diverse demographic composition includes affluent neighbourhoods alongside slums and low-income areas, posing unique challenges for development.
Despite having basic amenities, residents lament the lack of tailored upgrades to address evolving needs. Critical infrastructure projects like the Hanumanthwaka and Maddilapalem flyovers, aimed at easing traffic congestion, remain incomplete. Moreover, concerns regarding untreated drainage, park maintenance, and road extensions persist unresolved. Issues such as untreated drainage release, park maintenance, and road extensions continue to plague the constituency. Both the TDP and YSRCP have made promises to address these concerns, but residents feel let down by the lack of action.
Dr Nanduri Rama Krishna, president of the MVP Colony Residents’ Welfare Association, echoes the sentiment, emphasizing the urgent need for regulation and improvement. He points out the chaos in MVP Rythu Bazaar, highlighting the congestion caused by unregulated street vendors.
As Visakhapatnam East gears up for another electoral showdown, the electorate’s disillusionment with unmet promises looms large. With residents demanding tangible solutions to pressing issues, the onus lies on political contenders to address concerns beyond mere electoral rhetoric and prioritize the welfare of the constituency.