CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao has said that his party is planning to contest three Lok Sabha and 24 Assembly seats in the 2024 general elections if there is no alliance with the like-minded parties in Andhra Pradesh.
“We have already laid emphasis on three Lok Sabha seats — Araku, Nellore and Kurnool — where our party has a strong presence and network at the grassroot-level,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao said in an exclusive interview with The Hindu here on October 19.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam-West, Pendurthi, Palakonda and Kurupam constituencies in the North Andhra region were among the 24 Assembly seats identified in the State.
“As per the directives and guidelines of our Central leadership, we will not ally with the parties that have an association and electoral tie-up with the BJP. We will join hands with the non-BJP-associated parties if they approach us for seat-sharing. Otherwise, we will contest in the identified seats on our own,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao made it clear.
He said that the party would embark on a bus yatra from Seethampeta in Parvathipuram-Manyam district from October 21 to highlight the issues and failures of the YSRCP government in the last four years.
“This apart, we are planning to conduct public meetings in Mandasa, Adoni, Kurnool and other places to highlight the grievances of the farmers, workers and other sections of society,” he said.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao observed that no section of society was happy with the YSRCP government as it failed to lay focus on promoting agriculture and industries, and ignored development of the State since coming to power in May 2019.
Given the “bleak livelihood opportunities” in the State, more people from the North Andhra region were likely to migrate to other States, he feared.
