YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has appealed to the farmers, women and youth not to fall for the “sugar-coated talk” of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and wait for “Jagananna rule” for better governance.
Addressing roadshows at Mydukur and Badvel in the district on Friday, Mr. Reddy said Mr. Naidu was out to attract the voters with “lies, stunts and gimmicks.”
He asked the party workers to explain the voters the benefits of the ‘Navaratnalu’ schemes, and caution them against getting carried away by the “hollow TDP promises.” He dubbed the ‘Pasupu Kunkuma’ scheme as a “poll-eve drama.”
He accused the government of not making efforts to open the Kadapa Cooperative Sugar Factory at Chennur, which forced the farmers to sell the cane to a private factory at Podalakur in Nellore district. He also flayed the hurried manner in which stone was laid for the Kadapa steel factory.
“Expecting Special Category Status for the State and steel plant for the district, local youth underwent training to land jobs. Where are the jobs?” he sought to know.
He sought people’s support for his cousin Y.S. Avinash Reddy who is contesting for Kadapa LS seat and for the Assembly candidates S. Raghurami Reddy (Mydukur) and G. Venkatasubbaiah (Badvel).
‘Coop. units destroyed’
Special Correspondent in Chittoor writes: Addressing a rally at Nagaram Road Circle in Nagari Assembly constituency, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy accused Mr. Naidu of destroying the cooperative sugar and dairy units in the district, and promised to revive them on coming to power.
Mr. Naidu also betrayed the mango farmers by encouraging private firms to form a syndicate with a view to depriving them remunerative price, he alleged.
Referring to the Galeru-Nagari project, he said it was completed by over 80% during the YSR tenure. “The TDP government is deliberately delaying its execution by giving contracts to its Rajya Sabha member C.M. Ramesh,” he alleged.
“If Mr. Naidu retains power, he will close down all government schools. During the last five years, over 6,000 government schools have been closed,” Mr. Reddy charged.
“The State will witness murder politics if the TDP comes to power again,” he alleged.
The police were acting as per the whims and fancies of Mr. Naidu, the YSRCP president alleged.
‘High unemployment’
Special Correspondent in Ongole writes: Disputing Mr. Naidu’s assertion that he should continue in office if youth were to land jobs, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said unemployment rate had doubled after Mr. Naidu assumed office.
Addressing a public meeting at S.N. Padu village, he said investments projected to create new jobs did not materialise. Youth were disappointed as vacancies were not filled. The government deprived them of unemployment allowance for most of part of its tenure.
Most of the granite polishing units in and around Chimakurthy in Prakasam district were on the verge of closure due to high royalty charges and power tariff hike, he said. On the pretext of development, land were usurped from Dalits, he charged.
Farmers were in deep trouble as the TDP’s poll promise of market intervention scheme remained unimplemented, he said.
