Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy blew the poll bugle for the ensuing elections and announced that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is heading for the polls with a target to win all the 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh.
In the presence of numerous party workers, leaders, MLAs, MPs and supporters from various parts of the State during ‘Siddham’ (Ready) meeting at Sanghivalasa in Bheemunipatnam mandal in Visakhapatnam district on Saturday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy asked his cadre to get ready for the elections which are likely in about 70 days and work as a ‘soldiers’.
Call for intense campaign
The YSRCP chief urged them to visit every house and explain to people what changes the YSRCP government has brought in their lives in the last five years, the development that has taken place in various sectors and also how the previous Telugu Desam Party government led by its chief N. Chandrababu Naidu had ‘‘deceived them with false promises’‘.
They should tell the people that the coming election is very important as it is going to be a fight between ‘good’ and ‘evil, he said.
“It is not about electing an MLA or an MP, but choosing a party which will bring the poor out of poverty; it is for the future of children,” he said.
The party activists need to tell the people not to fall prey to the ‘‘false promises which are going to be made by the TDP and its alliance partner’‘ in the coming months, he said.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that he is neither dependent on alliances nor star campaigners. His star campaigners are those who benefited by the government schemes, he said, and asked his cadre to bring a star campaigner from every house.
Calling the YSRCP cadre as ‘Pandava Sainyam’ and the opposition parties as ‘Kourava Sainyam’, he termed the coming elections as ‘Kurukshetra Yuddham’ (drawing analogy from the Mahabharatam).
“I can see my soldiers ready for the ‘Kurukshetra Yuddham’. The schemes we have implemented and the good we have done so far are our arrows in this battle,” he said.
“I can also see Kourava Sainyam, which can create conspiracies, make false promises and cheat people. I am not someone like ‘Abhimanyu’ who can be targeted by them, here is an ‘Arjuna’ who can face them with the support of the people and God.,” he added.
Highlights achievements
Highlighting the development in various fields like education, medical & health, and agriculture, he said that in every sector and in every village from Kuppam to Ichchapuram, people can clearly see ‘Jagan Mark’ governance.
The YSRCP has ensured corruption-free governance in the last 56 months and delivered on 99% of the assurances given to the people. This is an achievement that every party worker should be proud of, he said.
‘’The government has given around 2.13 lakh permanent government jobs and distributed ₹2.53 lakh crore through welfare schemes. Over 75% of the beneficiaries of all those welfare schemes belong to the SC, ST, BC and Minority sections. Despite the COVID-19 situation and financial constraints, the YSRCP has not failed to lend a helping hand to the poor and now they are with the party,’‘ Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
Social justice
The government accorded priority to social justice by allocating 50% of posts to leaders from BC, SC, ST, and Minority communities while 68% of the Cabinet Minister positions were given to leaders from the backward classes. The government has appointed four Deputy CMs from the backward classes with an SC leader being appointed as the Legislative Council Chairman, a BC leader as the Legislative Assembly Speaker, and a minority leader as the Deputy Chairperson of the Council, he said.
The YSRCP stood by every ‘karyakartha’ (activist) who believed and worked for the party, and allotted them key posts. “This is not just my party, this is your party. And I am at your service,” he said infusing confidence among them.
Published - January 27, 2024 09:20 pm IST
