Leader of the Opposition and YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday and called upon people to question Mr. Naidu on his unfulfilled promises, when he visits the Nandyal constituency.
In his hour-long address at the SPG grounds in Nandyal, Mr. Jagan described the byelection as a “holy war” between credibility and deceit, justice and injustice. Mr. Naidu would not have sanctioned funds or announced any scheme for Nandyal had the election been unanimous, but was issuing GOs and harping on its development because the YSRC was in the contest, he asserted.
He alleged that Mr. Naidu and his son and Panchayat Raj Minister Lokesh were adept at making false promises.
Mr. Naidu made former Minister N. Md. Farooq MLC only to woo Nandyal voters, the YSRC president said.
‘Countdown for change’
He accused the Chief Minister of remembering minorities only before elections. In contrast, his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s government provided for 4 % reservation and fee reimbursement to poor Muslims and helped them pursue higher education.
Urging the people to elect YSRC candidate Silpa Mohan Reddy, Mr. Jagan asserted that the Nandyal verdict should be the countdown for change in government in the 2019 elections. Mr. Jagan lauded the candidate’s brother Silpa Chakrapani Reddy for following ethics after formally admitting the latter into the YSRC. He said he would camp in Nandyal from August 9 to 21 and visit every household.
Alleging rampant corruption and misuse of funds in various schemes, Mr. Jagan said Tourism Minister Bhuma Akhila Priya was the contractor for road widening and shops on main roads were hurriedly demolished and paltry compensation was being offered. The number of pensions that dwindled to 15,605 from 20,956 when Mr. Naidu took over, abruptly rose to 22,000 owing to the by-election, he said.
The ₹850-crore deposit scam of Keshava Reddy school was cut down to ₹ 280 crore in the CID charge sheet after Jammalamadugu MLA C. Adinarayana Reddy, who defected to the TDP, became a Minister, Mr. Jagan alleged.
He said said if his party rode to power in the 2019 elections, his Navaratna schemes would transform the State extending benefits to every family.
