YSRCP to Hold Statewide Vehicle Rallies on December 15 Against Medical College Privatization

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has announced statewide vehicle rallies on December 15 to transport petitions bearing one crore signatures opposing the state government’s decision to hand over newly built government medical colleges to private entities under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The large-scale signature collection campaign, undertaken by the opposition party over the past few weeks, has concluded across Andhra Pradesh. According to party leaders, signatures were collected from all Assembly constituencies, reflecting what they described as widespread public opposition to the proposed privatization of government medical colleges.

YSRCP State General Secretary and Legislative Council member Lella Appi Reddy has formally sought permission from Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta to conduct the rallies. In a letter addressed to the DGP, Appi Reddy requested police clearance and necessary security arrangements to ensure the smooth movement of vehicles carrying the petition boxes from district headquarters to the party’s central office at Tadepalli.

Appi Reddy stated that the collected petitions had reached respective district party offices by December 10 and would be transported in a coordinated manner through special vehicle rallies on December 15. He assured the police department that all traffic and safety regulations would be strictly followed and that party cadres would fully cooperate with law enforcement authorities during the rallies.

The YSRCP has strongly opposed the state government’s decision to privatize 10 government medical colleges through the PPP route, arguing that the move would undermine public healthcare and limit access to affordable medical education for students from economically weaker sections. The party claims that the signature campaign has generated a strong public response, reflecting growing concern over the future of government-run medical institutions.

As part of the next phase of the campaign, YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is scheduled to meet Governor S. Abdul Nazeer on December 18. During the meeting, he is expected to submit the petitions containing one crore signatures and brief the Governor on the party’s objections and the public sentiment against the privatization plan.

Party leaders said the signature collection drive has emerged as one of the YSRCP’s largest public outreach initiatives in recent times, underscoring what they described as a broad-based movement against the privatization of government medical colleges in the state.