Amaravati, Mar 16 (PTI) Visakhapatnam, known as the city of destiny, holds significant importance as a Lok Sabha constituency, especially with the YSR Congress Government proposing to designate it as the state's "executive capital" in the context of the "three capitals" concept.

The May 13 elections will see the YSRCP striving to retain the seat, while the opposition TDP, narrowly missing victory in 2019, is poised for an intense contest.

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B Jhansi Laxmi is the candidate of the ruling YSRCP, led by Chief Minister and party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

MVV Satyanarayan of YSR Congress defeated his nearest TDP rival M Bharat by a margin of over 4000 votes in the Parliament Elections in 2019.

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The segment was represented by former and present Andhra Pradesh BJP presidents K Hari Babu and D Purandeswari respectively earlier. Hari Babu is now the Governor of Mizoram.

As the lone cosmopolitan city in the state, Vizag boasts of a Sea Port, major industrial units like Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited and the HPCL refinery, contributing to its multicultural character.

With nearly 20 lakh voters, Visakhapatnam has seven assembly segments with TDP winning four in 2019 assembly polls. However, one of them defected to the ruling party which also holds the mayoral position of the city.

The ruling Jagan government may boast its proposal to make the city as "executive capital" while the opposition is likely to highlight the failures of the present regime in the upcoming polls.

Jagan Mohan Reddy recently announced the "Vision Visakha" plan, highlighting the crucial need to prioritize the development of the city.

He had clarified that the christening of the "executive capital' will occur after the elections, followed by his relocation and swearing-in ceremony in Visakhapatnam.

The proposed disinvestment of RINL by the NDA Government adds a critical dimension to the political landscape, with the BJP and its ally facing the challenge of persuading voters on this contentious issue.

When contacted, Sohan Hatangadi, Vice President, Greater Visakhapatnam Citizens Forum said as the coastal city grows and evolves, they envision a future where sustainable development and the preservation of precious environment and rich heritage takes precedence.

"We envision a city where clean air, clean water, and green spaces are accessible to all, where our heritage is cherished and protected, and where future generations inherit a vibrant, thriving, and sustainable Visakhapatnam," he said.

He further said the city needs a public representative who would find a permanent solution for problems such as coal dust emanating from the Visakhapatnam Port.

On Vizag being named as "executive capital" of the State by the YSRCP government, he said there can be mixed opinions about it.

A small scale entrepreneur said the privatisation of Vizag Steel would be a poll issue in Visakhapatnam as over 50,000 families directly or indirectly depend on the plant for livelihood.

"If the TDP-BJP-Janasena alliance promises that they would ensure that the Steel Plant is not privatised, then they will have an edge," the entrepreneur told PTI.

Various trade bodies have been agitating against the NDA government's proposal to disinvest the plant for the past three to four years.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)