Though the Assembly elections are a good two years away, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday asserted that he would return to power in 2019 on the strength of the “big achievements” of his government and “virtually no Opposition.”
“It is going to be a walk over for us in the 2019 Assembly elections,” he told The Hindu during an interview marking the completion of three years in office.
“Where is the Opposition in Andhra Pradesh? It has neither head nor tail. I am my own opposition, constantly questioning myself and raising the bar of governance and implementing schemes to benefit the people,” Mr. Naidu said.
At his modest residence at Undavalli on the banks of the Krishna near Vijayawada, a relaxed Mr. Naidu, spoke to The Hindu on his vision for the transformation of the State.
Excerpts from the interview:
‘We will go with the BJP in the 2019 elections’
How do you look back at your three-year rule? What were your big achievements and challenges?
I look at it with great satisfaction of having been able to deliver most of the election promises, the biggest one being farm loan waiver of ₹1,50,000 each despite financial crisis. No other State, including neighbouring Telangana, could do this. I have leveraged technology to see that there are no leakages in schemes like ration for the poor and pensions for senior citizens.
The Special Category Status is still a contentious issue. The YSRCP accuses you of compromising with the BJP. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is participating in a rally in Guntur on Sunday to highlight your failure.
The Congress and the YSRCP are playing politics with the SCS. What is wrong in accepting an alternative Special Package that is equal to the SCS when the Centre has expressed difficulties in granting the SCS? The Congress is shedding crocodile tears now after perpetrating grave injustice to Andhra Pradesh at the time of bifurcation. A half-baked Bill was passed shutting the doors of Parliament and snapping the live telecast. The people of the State punished it by not returning a single candidate in 2014 elections. It has not learnt a lesson yet and continues to play politics. Less said the better of the YSRCP. Why has it not carried its threat of making its MPs resign?
You often assert that the capital, Amaravati, and the Polavaram irrigation project are like two eyes for you, but both projects are bogged down in delays…
Who says there is delay? We completed the gigantic task of pooling 33,000 acres of land in about year’s time. Yes, finalising the design of capital took some time as my vision is of building a world-class capital with iconic buildings. You know what time it took for Chandigarh, Gandhinagar and Naya Raipur ? We have already started laying roads and some of these iconic buildings like that of Assembly will surely come up in the next few months. Polavaram too, is on right track with 48% of the works being complete.
Now that the Centre has started funding it, there no problem on that count. I am sure by the end of 2018, water will flow by gravity from the project.
How do you respond to the Opposition charge that the State lobbied to execute Polavaram, a national project on its own and that costs were inflated?
Show me one national project that was completed in time. We want avoid delays. It is for closer and better supervision of works that we undertook the project. What do we gain by inflating the costs? Opposition should know that the 80% of the project cost will go towards an R&R package in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act of 2013.
Your relations with the BJP seem to be strained of late. During his recent visit to Vijayawada, BJP president Amit Shah spoke of strengthening the party in Andhra Pradesh. Don’t you think it is going to create a problem for Telugu Desam?
There is no irritant in our relationship and we will go to 2019 elections together. I have asked my party leaders not to speak out of turn on relations with BJP.
You have made several trips to foreign countries and held two CII partnership summits so far. But investments attracted by the State are not very impressive.
Despite financial and other problems, we did fairly well. We were able to get Kia Motors, Hero Motors, Isuzu, Apollo Tyres and Ceat Tyres, a couple of aerospace and defence industries, etc. In the IT sector, HCL is setting shop here… what more do one want? We got first rank in ease of doing business. We will transform A.P. into a manufacturing and logistics hub.
How do you rate the performance of Nara Lokesh (his son), IT and Panchayat Raj Minister ?
It is for the media to judge.
