Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders on Monday morning staged a protest against the ruling YSRCP government by doing a ‘reverse walk’, demanding a stop to the ‘reverse regime’ in the state. TDP leaders and workers, led by party chief N Chandrababu Naidu, walked backwards from the Amaravati fire station to the Assembly. The winter session of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly entered its second week on Monday morning. 

“In the name of reverse tendering, this government is reserving all the tenders and doing reverse development. Amaravati is a goose that could lay golden eggs, but they are now killing it,” Chandrababu Naidu told reporters during the protest. After coming to power in May, the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP government has stalled construction works in the capital region, alleging irregularities and corrupt practices in the land deals. In many projects, ‘reverse tendering’ was carried out, where the existing contracts were cancelled and tenders were invited once again. TDP members raised the slogan, “This is not reverse tendering, this is reserve tendering”, a term used to suggest that the tenders are now being reserved for those in favour of the YSRCP. 

TDP leaders doing a 'reverse walk' to Assembly to protest halted development in Amaravati pic.twitter.com/R9fWfM8edE

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“The destruction started at Praja Vedika and has continued till now,” Naidu said, referring to a building called Praja Vedika constructed as an annexe to his Undavalli residence. The building was constructed for holding party meetings and press conferences. However, soon after coming to power, the Jagan government declared the structure ‘illegal’ and had it razed. 

YSRCP leaders have also raised an objection to establishing the capital at Amaravati, citing the possible ecological dangers of going ahead with huge construction works in flood-prone areas. In June, the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) withdrew from the Amaravati project. Both the financial institutions together were to invest upto $500 million into the project. Recently, a start-up area project in Amaravati, which was meant to be developed by a Singapore Consortium to boost economic activity, was cancelled by the YSRCP government, claiming that it was not found feasible as it involves a huge investment from the state government.

The party also condemned Municipal Administration Minister Botcha Satyanarayana’s flip-flop in the matter. While the minister had assured TDP members in the Legislative Council on Friday that there were plans to shift the capital from Amaravati, on Saturday, he told media that the status of the capital city will depend on the expert committee’s report.

“They responded positively in the council the other day, now they speak negatively, going back on their words. We are walking backwards to protest this attitude,” Naidu said.