New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh BJP leader Kandula Rajamohan Reddy said that the BJP-led centre was ready to set up a steel plant not just in Kadapa but also in Visakhapatnam. He along with Raghunath Babu had met Vice President Venkaiah Naidu here today to discuss the steel plant issue. It is learnt that the Vice President had invited steel minister Beerendra Singh also for the meeting and after the meet the union minister is said to have confirmed that the centre was favourable to start steel plants in Kadapa as well as Visakhapatnam.

The meeting was held in VP's house and later Rajamohan Reddy speaking to press said TDP was involved in false propaganda with regard to steel plant. He said TDP deliberately avoided mentioning Mecon company's initial report while it was publicising SAIL report which had stated that the steel plant was not viable. Despite pressures from other states, the centre had decided to set up another steel plant in Vizag and added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be laying the foundation for Kadapa steel plant.

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He further said that TDP was sure that the steel plant was coming up and hence they have resorted to protests to gain political mileage out of the issue. He added that if only TDP was sincere they should have conducted dharnas and protests in 2014 when SAIL submitted the report that the steel plant was not viable. The protest of CM Ramesh and other TDP leaders was an insincere one, he added.

Later Raghunath Babu asked what has Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu done for Rayalaseema despite being son of the region. The ruling TDP in the state was conducting a malicious campaign against the centre. He made it clear that centre was inclined to start the steel plant and there were no doubts on that score.