YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy speaks on the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, and who will he support in the event of a hung Parliament…
What is the difference between 2014 and 2019 polls for you?
In 2014, the difference in vote share between the victors and us was 1%. We got 44.5% and the NDA around 45.1%; so all of them put together were just possibly a percentage point more than us. (Telugu Desam Party chief) Chandrababu Naidu too didn’t have any anti-incumbency against him and he could get away with his lies. And he had the Modi euphoria adding to it, as well as the (Jana Sena) Pawan Kalyan factor. His nine years of experience as Chief Minister counted for a newly formed State. All these factors gave them that 1% differential. Today, people have seen his (Naidu’s) government and understood that he has lied and broken his election promises. The euphoria around Modi ji is also no longer there. These polls are, therefore, in a way what it wasn’t in 2014, anti-incumbency versus hope.
What is your agenda for what you term as “hope”?
Basically, the voters have seen me for the last nine years. In the last election, they have seen that I don’t lie. Chandrababu Naidu said promised to waive off farm loans, knowing very well there was a huge ₹87,612 crore worth of agricultural loans, which no State government would be in a position to waive off. Whereas on the other side we spoke reality, we said it cannot be done. Many people in my party, MLAs who were contesting said why don’t you also say this, since he (Naidu) is saying this? I chose not to do it, and chose instead to explain to the people that nobody could do this. So finally, words that I spoke that day have become reality today. People basically can see the difference. The election today will be credibility versus betrayal.
What is your specific charge?
In this entire process, he (Naidu) ruined the entire system. He asked farmers not to pay up their loans, but he didn’t give the debt waiver either, as a result, the outstanding agricultural loans have become ₹1,50,000 crore. The worst part is that not only did he breach the election promise of a loan waiver, but earlier farmers were getting interest subvention, some from the Centre and the balance from the State, so that agricultural loans were actually on zero interest, but after Naidu became Chief Minister he scrapped that scheme. So the farmers were not getting zero per cent interest and his promise of loan waiver was not followed through. In the last five years he has only paid out ₹14,000-15,000 crore, that doesn’t translate to much. He made 650 promises in his manifesto in 2014, today that manifesto is not even featured on his website. We are going to be releasing our manifesto in a while, it going to be just two pages, we’ll say, this is what we will deliver and while seeking a vote again, it will be clear what all we have delivered. That’s the way it should be done. You don’t give books, and if you do then don’t remove the books.
You have said that you will support any party which will push for Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh. How diffused is this promise?
We are sick and tired of trusting people. Both the national parties have cheated us, the Congress has cheated us by bifurcating the State against our wishes, and also did not incorporate the demand for SCS in the AP Reorganisation Act. Had they incorporated this demand in the Act, we could have at least gone to the Supreme Court, to enforce it. The BJP, being in power, in a position to do so, and party to the promise that as a pre-condition to bifurcation to deliver SCS, and Narendra Modi promising it at a public meeting at Tirupati and he too cheated us.
But in a case of a hung Parliament, what does your offer of support on the condition of granting of SCS mean?
Today we are saying we are sick and tired of trusting people, we say we have the numbers, and you sign on the dotted line of SCS and we will support you. Whomsoever it may be.
Anybody, including the Congress?
Anybody including you! As long as I get SCS. Here I must say that thanks to KCR garu (Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhara Rao), who publicly and categorically said that he would support the demand for SCS. With his 17 MPs and our 25 MPs, a total of 42 MPs on one side demanding SCS and with the current day politics, of possibly a hung Parliament, we could, with our numbers, become a pressure group, a group that can make the Central government yield.
It’s interesting that you speak in glowing terms of K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Wouldn’t his proximity hurt your prospects in Andhra Pradesh?
Let bygones be bygones. My party was the only party that opposed the bifurcation of the State in Parliament and I was suspended from the House along with the other MP from my party. TDP supported and voted for bifurcation, as did the Congress and BJP. Every party barring mine voted. They broke the State and now 10 years after the agitation, whether I accept or not, they (TRS) have a separate State. At least after 10 years there is an element of people wanting to come together, of trying to help with each other’s needs. What is the point in ignoring everyone and saying we don’t need anyone’s support? They (TRS) are not supporting me individually, but the demand for SCS and I welcome such statement from any State.
There is a lot of talk about events post Pulwama attack and what happened in Balakot. What is your view on the what happened and about Prime Minister Modi?
Basically, he (Prime Minister Modi) has exhibited strong will. He has exhibited political will what no other Prime Minister had done, that could be a positive note for him. But as far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned, he failed us, both Congress and BJP have betrayed us.
