The BJP will use the Atmakur Assembly byelection as an instrument to expose the anti-people policies of the ruling YSRCP government, and emerge as a force to reckon with in the State by 2024, party spokesman and Rajya Sabha member G.V.L. Narasimha Rao has said.
This was decided at the BJP State Executive Committee meeting held here on Thursday as the Election Commission issued the notification for the byelection caused by the demise of Information Technology Minister Mekapatti Goutham Reddy.
‘No truck with YSRCP, TDP’
Addressing the media later, Mr. Narasimha Rao ruled out any alliance with either the YSRCP or the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) “though both the parties are trying to have an electoral understanding with the BJP.”
The BJP would have truck only with the Jana Sena Party (JSP) to fight the next Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the State, he said.
“The BJP has high regard for the departed Minister. But the party is against allowing a member of the Goutham Reddy’s family to win the byelection uncontested, as dynasty politics is against democracy,” Mr. Narasimha Rao said.
‘Principled stand’
Taking a principled stand, the party had contested the Budvel Assembly byelection, he recalled, adding that the party leadership would decide on the candidate of the BJP-JSP combine in consultation with JSP president Pawan Kalyan, he added.
Replying to a question, he said it was the BJP-JSP combine that would gain from the “anti-incumbancy wave prevailing in the State.”
The meeting decided to go to the people at the grassroots level from May 30, when the Narendra Modi government would complete eight years in office to highlight the central assistance provided to Andhra Pradesh on a massive scale for infrastructure projects and a string of educational institutions set up as per the promise made at the time of bifurcation of the State.
A resolution was adopted at the meet thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the “liberal assistance provided to the State.”
The party would lead people’s struggles across the State, Mr. Narasimha Rao said, adding that the BJP’s agitation in north coastal Andhra for taking up long-pending irrigation projects had put pressure on the State government to announce Vamasadhara Phase II project, he claimed.
Konaseema violence
Mr. Rao raised questions over the way the Konaseema district was named after B.R. Ambedkar by the YSRCP Government after TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu made a proposal.
The TDP should spell out its stand on the issue, which had led to large-scale violence, he said, adding that none would have objection to renaming several of the government's welfare schemes after the Dalit icon.
Blaming the ruling YSRCP for the Konaseema violence, BJP State president Somu Veeraraju raised several questions over the circumstances leading to the setting ablaze of furniture in Minister P. Viswaroop's residence, including non-arrival of fire tender and the police remaining mute spectators.
Several central schemes were repacked and projected as Navaratnalu by the YSRCP, denying due credit to the Modi government, he alleged.
‘Liberal Central aid’
Andhra Pradesh, which had been adversely affected by the “Hyderabad-centric development” witnessed development on a scale never seen before thanks to the “liberal central assistance” under various heads, Mr. Veerraju said.
Some of the educational institutions were without full-fledged campus even now because of the failure of the State government to acquire land for the purpose, he alleged.
BJP national secretary and State co-incharge Sunil Deodhar, national secretary Y. Satyakumar , national Working Committee member Kanna Lakshminarayana, Legislative Council leader P.V.N. Madhav, and MLC Vakati Narayana Reddy were among those who attended the meeting.
