In the first-ever joint public meeting of the BJP-TDP-JSP combine on March 17 (Sunday), Prime Minister Narendra Modi made critical comments against the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) dispensation in Andhra Pradesh calling it a “corrupt government.”
Mr. Modi appealed to the electorate not to make the mistake of voting for the YSRCP or the Congress party, which, he said, were effectively operating as one and being led by members of the same family in collusion with one another.
Addressing the ‘Praja Galam’ at Boppudi village, near Chilakaluripeta, in Palnadu district, Mr. Modi asserted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would meet the “regional aspirations.”
Mr. Modi, however, did not even touch upon contentious issues such as capital Amaravati, privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh and Polavaram irrigation project despite TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu, who spoke ahead of the Prime Minister, raised the three-capital issue.
Mr. Modi did not make any specific remarks against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, but alleged that the Ministers in the State were corrupt.
“The people of Andhra are angry with the YSRCP government and want to throw it out of power,” Mr. Modi said, and added that “the Ministers in the State are competing with one another in corruption, and people are feeling betrayed by the State government.”
Drawing a comparison between the NDA and the Congress, Mr. Modi said, “The Congress party works on a ‘use and throw’ scheme, and that is the sole purpose behind the formation of the INDIA bloc. The NDA, on the other hand, moves forward with both regional aspirations and national progress in mind. The NDA aims at building Andhra Pradesh. With the double-engine government of the NDA in Andhra Pradesh, development here will receive even more momentum.”
Mr. Modi, in the same breath, recalled that the NDA government was paying attention to the needs of the farmers.
Under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, farmers in Palnadu were given over ₹700 crore. During the NDA rule, leading educational institutes were inaugurated or stones had been laid for them, he said.
“Elect the maximum number of NDA MPs to effectively implement the Central government’s schemes in the region. All NDA MPs will work for you with great dedication. Now, the nation is saying: ‘4 June Ko 400 Paar’, ‘ For a developed India... 400 Paar’, ‘For a developed Andhra Pradesh... 400 Paar.”
