Left parties block NH in Vijayawada over fuel, gas price hikes

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Activists of the Left parties staging a dharna in Vijayawada on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri

Traffic on the busy National Highway at Krishnalanka in Vijayawada came to a halt for nearly 30 minutes on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) as the activists of Left parties staged a blockade, protesting the rising prices of petrol, diesel, and domestic cooking gas.

CPI State Secretary K. Eswaraiah, CPI(M) State Committee Member Ch. Babu Rao, Liberation leader Harinath, New Democracy leader Venkateswarlu, SUCI leader Amarnath, MCPI(U) leader Khadar Basha, ML leader Veerababu, and Red Flag leader Prasad Babutook part in the protest.

The protest was led by CPI(M) State Committee member D. Kasinath and CPI Vijayawada City Secretary G. Koteswara Rao.

The protesters accused the Central and State governments of burdening the public through excessive taxation on petroleum products. They alleged that the Centre had collected nearly ₹40 lakh crore in taxes on petroleum products over the last 12 years, while successive governments in Andhra Pradesh had collected around ₹2.27 lakh crore through VAT and other levies.

Rejecting the claims that geopolitical tensions in West Asia justified the recurrent fuel price hikes, they argued that despite a decline in global crude oil prices compared to the 2014 levels, domestic prices of LPG, petrol, and diesel had risen sharply, placing a heavy burden on households.

The Left leaders criticised the BJP-led Union Government and the NDA coalition in Andhra Pradesh, alleging that promises to reduce fuel taxes had not been fulfilled. They also accused the governments of favouring corporate interests while imposing higher taxes on fuels used by ordinary citizens.

They warned of intensified protests if the Central and State governments failed to address the public concerns.