Vizag Mayor alleges attack on him during GVMC Council meeting, blames Botcha

Mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao on Friday alleged that he was attacked during the Greater Visakhaptnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Council meeting, at the behest of YSRCP MLC Botcha Satyanarayana.

Addressing the media at his chamber after the GVMC Council meeting, Mr. Srinivasa Rao stated that ever since Mr. Satyanarayana’s wife lost to Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, the YSRCP senior leader had been bearing a grudge against him.

“Mr. Satyanarayana had made many attempts, but could not stop me from becoming the Mayor,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.

Clarifying on the alleged bid to regularise government land for GITAM educational institutions, the Mayor said the issue is entirely under the jurisdiction of the State government. “As the land in question falls within the GVMC limits, the issue was placed before the Council for information and has now been forwarded to the government,” he said.

He pointed out that Mr. Satyanarayana, despite having served as the Municipal Minister and being aware of this process, ‘created a drama’ over the issue.

The Mayor said that Mr. Satyanarayana, Varudu Kalyani and Kumbha Ravibabu attended the GVMC Council meeting even though their names were not in the list of invitees.

“The YSRCP leaders came to the meeting only with the intention of attacking me,” he alleged.

Meanwhile, TDP MLAs Palla Srinivasa Rao, P.G.V.R. Naidu (Gana Babu), Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu condemned the alleged attack on the Mayor during the GVMC Council meeting.

They said that the YSRCP leaders were ‘bringing faction culture’ to the city.

“If YSRCP has objections to any proposal, then they must speak about it when the agenda comes before the Council. But their sole intention today was to disturb the Council meeting,” they stated.