Jagan ridicules Naidu’s claims on developing Seemandhra

TDP chief has become outdated in present day politics, says YSRC president

YSRC president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy interacting with a woman at Kalaparru in West Godavari district during a visit on Tuesday. Photo: A.V.G. Prasad

YSRC president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Tuesday promised to provide better and credible governance than his TDP counterpart and former Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, if he is elected to power. He even went on to call Mr Naidu ‘senile’ and a leader with the ‘discredit’ of having diluted the welfare schemes initiated by his mentor, N.T. Rama Rao.

The YSRC chief said at an impressive election rally here that the TDP chief had become ‘outdated’ in present day politics. “You belong to the old generation and I represent the young generation,” he told Mr. Naidu while ridiculing the latter’s claim to develop residuary Andhra Pradesh as a replica of Singapore.

‘Unholy alliance’

In the light of the perceived straight fight between the YSRC and the TDP in the Seemandhra region in view of the ruling Congress getting relegated to the last position after the creation of Telangana, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy appeared to have mainly zeroed in on Mr. Chandrababu Naidu during his address. He accused the Congress and the BJP at the Central level and the TDP and the Congress at the State level of forging an ‘unholy alliance’ to divide the State.

It was because of the unholy alliance and the game plan of the trio, that the integrationists failed to keep the State united in spite of their relentless struggle, he said. Yet, the YSRC would play a historical role in rebuilding the residuary State. “I am confident we will have our own government (led by YSRC) in the State and an our own man as Prime Minister at the Centre. With this, I will get a lion’s share of funds from the friendly government at the Centre for development of the residuary State,” he said.

Promise on pension

He promised to increase old age pension up to Rs 700 per month, create a price stabilization fund with Rs 3,000 crore to address the distress conditions in the farm sector by ensuring remunerative prices to agricultural produce and waiver of SHG loans.

Thota Chandrasekhar Rao, the YSRC MP candidate for Eluru, sought to establish the capital city of the residuary State between Vijayawada and Eluru. Eluru was located between two airports -- Gannavaram and Rajahmundry -- and two seaports—Machilipatnam and Kakinada—and that it was quite feasible to develop this as the capital city, he said while appealing to Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy to take up the issue.