Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu said that if the YSR Congress Party wins the GVMC elections, it will spell doom for the city.
Speaking at various roadshows here as part of the TDP’s campaign, he urged people to see that YSRCP candidates are not elected. “Once they are elected this peaceful city would lose its peace,” he said.
He said that if YSRCP is elected, the taxes of the GVMC will be increased exorbitantly, as the government intends to cover its deficit through the hike in taxes.
“The government has already gone into a debt trap due to the vote bank schemes and now it will try to cover it up by increasing the taxes,” he said.
Mr. Naidu said that TDP will fight till the end to see that the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) is not privatised.
Appreciating former TDP MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao for taking up fast to protest against the privatisation of the plant, he said, “That is how a true leader reacts to an issue. But on the other hand, YSRCP is playing a game with the minds of the people,” he said.
He alleged that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his aide and MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy would not hesitate from even selling the entire city.
The former CM also alleged that YSRCP leaders were harassing the TDP candidates.
Taking a sarcastic dig at Mr. Jagan’s liquor policy, Mr. Naidu said, “He had come to power by saying that liquor would be prohibited. But after coming to power, he has not implemented prohibition, but on the other hand he is selling his own brands of cheap liquor at higher prices. Nowhere in the country one would find the brands that are now being sold in A.P.”
Mr. Naidu also said that the YSRCP failed to get things moving on the Visakhapatnam-based South Coast Railway Zone and also on the metro rail. He accused the State government of failing to get the campus started for Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy and the ESI hospital. Mr. Naidu faulted Mr. Jagan’s sand policy and said that due to the bad policy, both builders and construction workers were suffering a lot.
“When the TDP was in power, we abolished the Agnampudi toll gate, but after the YSRCP had come to power, they have restarted it, putting burden on the commuters on that road,” he alleged
Taking a dig at a local pontiff, he said, “The so-called godman did not utter a word when Lord Rama’s idol was desecrated at Ramatheertham, but he never forgets to pay his respects to Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy.”
Mr. Naidu also pointed out that the people of Vizag were never against Amaravati being the capital and they welcomed it, but Mr. Jagan is now pitching the people of two regions against each other through faulty narratives.
“We in the Telugu Desam Party believe only in development and not undoing things,” Mr. Naidu said.
Anna canteens
He also assured that if voted to power in the GVMC and other urban local bodies, TDP would revive the ‘Anna canteen’ programme.
Mr. Naidu addressed over 15 roadshows in the last two days, including about eight, on Saturday.
