Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Daggubati Purandeswari on Sunday sought a mandate for the party in the Atmakur byelection slated for June 23, saying that it would ensure speedy development of the ‘backward’ constituency.
Addressing a series of meetings along with party State President Somu Veerraju and BJP candidate Gundlapalli Bharat Kumar Yadav in Atmakur on Sunday, Ms. Purandeswari contended that Andhra Pradesh had not witnessed any ‘meaningful development in the last three years due to inept YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) regime’.
“The bumpy roads in the constituency bear testimony to the absence of development during the YSRCP rule. The constituency, which was represented by three Ministers in the past, remains backward. Former Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar Yadav, who hails from the district, failed to ensure the development of the drought-prone region. It is time the voters taught a lesson to the ruling party,” said the BJP leader.
Projecting the BJP as an alternative to the YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh, Ms. Purandeswari said the State would see speedy development only if the BJP was voted to power.
Central scheme
Highlighting the welfare initiatives launched by the BJP-led Central government, she alleged that the State government had not given to farmers the ₹600 crore released by the Centre.
Making a mention of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat), Ms. Purandeswari accused the State government of hijacking several Central welfare schemes, by making it appear as if they were launched by the YSRCP government on its own.
“The BJP will strive hard to develop the drought-prone region by completing the pending irrigation projects,” she promised. Referring to series of sexual assaults reported across the State, the BJP leader said that women lacked protection under the YSRCP regime.
Alleging that the YSRCP was making efforts to ‘rig the bypoll’, Mr. Veerraju said, “The YSRCP is brining in people from outside the constituency, who possess fake voter photo identity cards. It is misusing the village and ward volunteers.
