BJP, not YSRCP, TDP’s main rival: Lokesh

Voting for YSRCP means voting for BJP as the latter is supplying oxygen to keep the former alive, says IT and Panchayat Raj Minister

Floral tribute: Chief Minister and TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu garlanding the statue of TDP founder president and former Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao in Vijayawada on Monday on the occasion of NTR's birth anniversary.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary and Minister Nara Lokesh on Monday said the BJP would be its main rival in the coming general elections and not the YSRCP.

Introducing a resolution on the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development on the second day of the Mahanadu, Mr. Lokesh said, “Election fever has already begun in the State. In 2014, we faced the Opposition party directly, now it is conspiring with secret allies. They are coming in different forms and ways to beat and create a rift among us.

“To be frank, our main opponent in 2019 is not Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He has no potential to face us. Ours [party] and people’s No. 1 enemy is the BJP. The YSRCP is on the ventilator and the BJP is supplying oxygen to keep it alive. A vote for the YSRCP is a vote for the BJP which had betrayed the people of the State. Nevertheless, the BJP does not trust the YSRCP. That’s the reason it is bringing into picture actors, retired IAS officers and caste associations to sling mud at Mr. Chandrababu Naidu. All of them are conspiring to damage his credibility. They are following the strategy of ‘confuse people if you fail to convince’,” Mr. Lokesh said.

Refutes charges

He also dared the Opposition which was making allegations of corruption against him to come out with proof. He listed out the developmental work including laying of 17,000 km roads in rural areas, construction of toilets, Anganwadi centres, panchayat buildings, pump sets and others by his department.

“Mr. Chandrababu Naidu has achieved development in the four years that was not possible in the past 70 years after Independence. Despite all this, the Opposition party is finding fault with the government. YSRCP MPs Y.V. Subba Reddy and Avinash Reddy and BJP MLC wrote letters to the Centre seeking stoppage of the MGNREGA funds alleging corruption, but the State spent ₹1,320 crore to pay beneficiaries,” he added.

“Mr. Pawan Kalyan says nothing has happened in Uddanam village. The Chief Minister diverted NTR Sujala plant meant for his constituency to Uddanam and set up many other RO plants.”