Diehard comrades turn non-political

Vijayawada: Amaravati Abhivrudhi Sangham (AAS), a newly formed non-political organisation, has elected its office-bearers here on Sunday. Former MLA K Subba Raju is its honorary president and Andhra Pradesh State Youth Federation (APSYF) founder president Navaneetam Sambasiva Rao has been elected as general secretary.

Though the AAS claimed itself as a service organisation, almost all its executive and office-bearers have political background, especially from the Communist Party of India (CPI). All of them quit the party to float the new service body. The sole aim of the AAS is to ensure development of the Vijayawada and Amaravati regions.

A parallel force of Comrades in the organisation has an agenda. It wanted to tune itself to prevent the sympathisers of the CPI from joining other political parties. Apart from fighting for the development of Amaravati region, the hardcore former Comrades in AAS have owned the responsibility of saving their cadres that was built in Vijayawada municipal divisions over several decades.

Core leadership in the AAS is of the view that CPI leadership derailed the party from what it was during golden old days when it enjoyed power, both at local level and had represented State Assembly.

A senior leader said CPI had lost its sheen and had become a laughing stock. The mechanism to check corruption in the party had become defunct and “I resigned for State panel two-and-half-years ago,” he said. “I also quit the membership only to join AAS,” he added.

On condition of anonymity, the senior leader said that in Vijayawada Municipal Corporation elections, the CPI failed to secure even one division. The party leadership did not attempt to correct the mistakes. “We cannot see the party adopt dictatorship,” he lamented.

Another young leader echoed the same feelings. He said that the previous elections to Assembly and local body had showed the reality of how CPI was losing its base. As against 2,100 membership, the contesting candidate for the East Assembly scored just 361 votes.

It was an indication that the party needs to prepare a plan to save its bastions. Unfortunately, no effort was made to prevent sympathisers from tilting towards other parties, he added.

Addressing a press conference here, Subba Raju and Sambasiva Rao, along with AAS president Neelam Durga Rao and treasurer Battula Tirupataiah, said that the non-political body would offer suitable suggestions to the government bodies on comprehensive development of the capital region.

If necessary it would motivate people to intensify agitation to achieve development. The AAS would fight to protect rights of people and oppose unreasonable taxes.