Opposition leader and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu has termed the result of the ensuing byelection to the Tirupati parliamentary constituency as having a far-reaching impact in deciding the future course of action for Andhra Pradesh.
“The election is not limited to Tirupati. This is an opportunity to safeguard the future of Andhra Pradesh. Tirupati voters should take advantage of this ‘vajrayudham’ (a mythological weapon with divine powers) and dethrone the government. They need to remember what happened during the two-year-rule of YSRC Party,” he said at a media conference meant to wind up the party’s marathon election campaign on Thursday.
Recalling the lack of development, Mr. Naidu said several industries had evinced interest in his ‘Sunrise State’ call and reached Andhra Pradesh with investment, adding that the situation was not congenial any more. As the Green Tribunal had granted a stay on sand mining, the sand mafia owing allegiance to the ruling party had been digging up to 70 feet in the river between Uthukota and Surutupalli on the Tamil Nadu border, expressing fear that it could lead to desertification. He accused Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and Chief Whip G. Srikanth Reddy (Kadapa) of being behind such illegal practices.
On the stone-throwing incident, he ridiculed the police officials asking the TDP to provide evidence for the same. “If there is a case of theft, is it right to put the onus of proof on the victim?” he wondered. He flayed the State on the ‘reimbursement arrears of ₹1,000 crore, harassment of people with the threat of filing atrocities case’, failure to provide the CPS scheme to employees promised ahead of the elections and the ‘inferior quality of alcohol’ supplied in the State which he said would be detrimental to the guzzlers’ health. He also sought to know the status of the fictitious ‘pink diamond’, which the Tirumala chief priest had made an election issue ahead of the 2019 polls.
