Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has sought mandate for building a “happy and healthy Andhra Pradesh.”
“I have the satisfaction of doing more than what I had promised in 2014,” Mr. Naidu said while addressing a series of public meetings at Kandukur, Chimakurthy and Chirala in Prakasam district on Saturday.
With just five days to go for the elections, Mr. Naidu, in a voice filled with emotion, said, “I have no personal desires. I will take responsibility for your future. It is up to you to decide whether you want a person with a vision to usher in all-round development or an Opposition leader, who is an accused in 31 criminal cases and lacks administrative experience.”
“As many as 95 YSRCP MLA and 12 MP candidates have criminal cases pending against them,” he said.
“Do you want such persons as lawmakers?” Mr. Naidu asked, and the assembled crowd roared by saying “no.”
Word of caution
“Water supply for irrigation in 42 lakh acres will become uncertain if Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy wins because he takes orders from Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who has dragged Andhra Pradesh to court on the Polavaram project and other projects designed to utilise the flood waters of the Krishna. Mr. Rao has never openly declared his support for Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh,” Mr. Naidu said.
“It is unfortunate that YSRCP president is backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who betrayed the State, only to wriggle out of court cases,” he said.
“Whether the Centre cooperates or not, I will ensure water by gravity from the Polavaram project and go ahead to complete the inter-linking of the Godavari and the Penna to drought-proof the State,” Mr. Naidu asserted.
Accusing the Centre of misusing institutions such as the CBI, the ED and the Income-Tax Department to conduct raids on the TDP leaders, he lauded TDP Nellore MP candidate B. Mastan Rao and Kandukur candidate P. Rama Rao for boldly facing the I-T raids.
‘Teach them a lesson’
He appealed to the people to teach a lesson to the “opportunists” – A. Prabhakar Reddy (YSRCP Nellore MP candidate) and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (YSRCP Ongole MP candidate) – who had switched over to the Opposition camp just before the elections.
“TDP should retain power to generate more jobs,” he said amid loud cheers.“DWCRA women will be given ‘Pasupu Kumkuma’ benefits every year for the next five years. Women will be given ₹18,000 each per annum for sending their children to school under the ‘Ammaku Vandanam’ scheme,” said.
He assured the ₹4,400-crore Ramyapatnam sea port would be completed in two to three years. Similarly, Asia’s biggest paper mill would also come up in the district. The VANPIC sea port project with ship-building industry would also be revived, he added.
