Naidu sounds confident of TD-JS-BJP win

Vijayawada: Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu has sounded confident that the TD-JS-BJP alliance would win power in the Assembly polls. “We are getting a huge response from the people in Rayalaseema, Konaseema and elsewhere in the state,” he claimed. Addressing a public meeting at Ravulapalem in the BR Ambedkar Konaseema district on Wednesday, Naidu said the peaceful Konaseema region lost its peace during the past five years, due to recurrence of violence. “Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chirla Jaggi Reddy encouraged corruption while the youths are getting addicted to ganja,” he said.

He praised Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan for his firm stand that the anti-YSRC from power. In a sharp reaction to Jagan Mohan Reddy calling Naidu ‘Pasupathi’, Naidu acknowledged it by saying he was like Lord Shiva who could keep poison in his throat in order to protect the world. The former CM said that he could never be cowed down through police arrest and court cases. Referring to the assurance of Jagan Mohan Reddy to implement prohibition in a phased manner, the TD chief asked as to why he failed to do it and blamed the CM for, instead, supplying low quality liquor at high prices and causing hardships to the consumers.

Naidu felt that Jagan Mohan Reddy was elected to power in 2019 as he could garner “sympathy” from the people over the murder of his uncle Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy. He said the CM was causing hardships to the welfare pensioners by forcing them to collect their pensions at the village/ward



secretariats in the aftermath of the withdrawal of services of village/ward volunteers by the Election Commission. 

The TD chief asked the state chief secretary as to why the government could not arrange distribution of pensions at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries by availing the services of the existing staff members. “I wonder whether the state exchequer has adequate funds to disburse pensions and wages to the staff members, in view of the financial crisis AP is facing now,” he said.

He praised the people from the erstwhile East Godavari by saying their words would be as sweet as a special sweet called ‘Pootharekulu’. When anyone asks them water to drink, they would even offer tender coconut water. That’s the kind of love and respect they have towards others,” Naidu said. The former CM turned critical on the YSRC government’s failure to complete the Polavaram project. “Had the TD government been in power in the last five years, it would have completed the project by 2020 and supplied water for a third crop to the farmers,” he claimed. Naidu promised the people to revive the aquaculture and expressed his intent to supply power at `1.50 per unit. 

He questioned Jagan Mohan Reddy as to why he failed to conduct DSC to recruit teachers in his five-year term. “We would conduct a mega DSC and take up recruitment of 20 lakh people for various jobs once our government is elected to power,” Naidu said.