Political language: ‘Jobs for locals’ raked up

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, April 12, 2014:  Leaders and candidates of various political parties, with an eye on Assembly elections, are all set to woo locals in their canvassing with a promise of jobs in local industries in Vizag.

The city, home to thousands of migrants from various towns and cities across the state and country, has allegedly seen locals being left behind in various small and big industries, PSUs and MNCs.

An advertisement on local FM radio station has a conversation between two persons where one of them asks another not to leave the city as a particular party candidate, if voted to power will provide jobs in the local industries.

One of them also says that successive local public representatives have failed to ensure locals get the jobs in the industries and need not worry as the regional party candidate if elected will ensure that locals given priority for all the jobs.  

The radio advertisement has caught many an attention. The advertisement targeted at locals, however, didn’; go down well with the outsiders, who are settled here for quite sometime.

 “Jobs in private or government sector should be decided on merits and talents, but not on the place of origin. These kind of campaigns will only dent the image of Vizag, which is being looked upon as a promising investment destination an dthe next big city pos bifurcation of the state. It will also lead to an acrimonious relationship between locals and settles from fraway places,” rued Rana Singh of Rajasthan, who has been living in Vizag for five years.

The strong ‘local’ feeling among the voters became evident when the PRP candidate in 2009 polls, Palla  Srinivas, a native of Vizag, could secure more than 3 lakh votes. He stood second pushing the strong TD candidate, MVVS Murthy to third.

He lost to the Congress candidate, D Purandheswari, with very little margin of 60,000 votes. It was the feeling ‘local’ that ensured Srinivas, a political novice, get so many votes in lakhs.

Anakapalle MP Sabbam hari too recently jumped into the bandwagon to use ‘local’ plank. Earlier he accused that non locals are actually disturbing the local fabric and culture. He also said he will be in the fray from Vizag Lok Sabha seat if other parties field non locals and outsiders.