Bhogapuram airport built six months ahead of schedule: GMR Group Chairman

VIZIANAGARAMA day before the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram Assembly constituency to inaugurate Alluri Sitharama Raju International airport, several local legislators on Friday flagged a severe “protocol violation”, claiming that their names have been omitted from the invitation card of the inaugural ceremony.Jana Sena Party’s Nellimarla MLA Lokam Naga Madhavi complained to the party high command and the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), even as Bhogapuram is her constituency, Ms. Madhavi claimed that her name was not on the invitation card made for the inaugural ceremony.“Bhogapuram comes under Nellimarla constituency, and it is unfair to ignore statutory protocols for a local legislator. That is why [Naga] Madhavi has brought the issue to the notice of the party high command and CMO. We are hopeful that corrective measures will be taken on the day of the inauguration. She should also be invited onto the dais since she is the local public representative,” a senior Jana Sena Party leader said.Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council’s Opposition Leader, Botcha Satyanarayana, has reportedly not received the invitation, despite holding the Minister’s rank according to protocol. The local YSRCP leaders brought the issue to the notice of Vizianagaram District Collector S. Ramsundar Reddy.Vizianagaram MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu, Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat, and their loyalists have also raised concerns about being excluded from invitations.“The names of important public representatives are missing from the inauguration plate, which will be laid officially on Saturday in the presence of the PM. But sources said that names of local MLAs and MPs are also missing,” a senior TDP leader said.PMO cleared namesResponding to the allegations of protocol violations, Minister for Housing, Information, and Public Relations Kolusu Parthasarathi said that the Prime Minister’s Office had been the final authority in clearing the names of the leaders. The persons who were authorised by the PMO will share the dais along with the PM.“The State government is keenly following protocol and respecting all public representatives since their presence is needed for the important function,” he added. Published - July 31, 2026 07:38 pm IST