Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said on March 10 that while only parties and leaders were with Telugu Desam Party national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the YSR Congress Party had the support of the people. He was reacting to the alliance of the Telugu Desam Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and Jana Sena Party that was announced on March 9.
Addressing the Siddham (Ready) meeting at Medarametla on March 10, Mr. Jagan expressed confidence of winning 175 Assembly constituencies and 25 Parliamentary Constituencies in the ensuing general elections. Stating that he had been fighting against the TDP alliance and its supporting media, the Chief Minister urged the people to support him in the elections to deliver more welfare schemes for the benefit of the poor and eligible families across the State. He said that voting for TDP alliance was nothing but losing all the existing welfare schemes like Amma Vodi, Rythu Bharosa and others.
“The BJP-TDP-JSP alliance contested the 2014 elections and promised to implement farm loan waiver, Mahalaxmi scheme, 3 cents land to the poor and BC sub-plan, but never implemented anything. Remember between 2014 and 2019 Mr. Naidu failed to get special category status for Andhra Pradesh. What will he do now?” Mr. Jagan said.
“The congregation here at the Medarametla meeting resembles a sea of humanity. I salute the people — my army that has gathered here to ensure the continuity of State’s welfare and progress for another five years,” he said.
Turning to the gathering, Mr. Jagan asked, “Are you all ready for the battle wherein Mr. Naidu relies on other parties, while on the other hand I rely on people? Are you all ‘Ready’ (Siddham) to ensure another historic victory for the YSRCP?”
Terming the 2024 elections as battle of Kurukshetra, he said that the people of Andhra Pradesh would play the role of Krishna, whereas he (Mr. Jagan) would play the role of Arjuna.
“Unlike Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, I don’t have star campaigners from the film world or media support like them and I don’t have any poll alliances. I am contesting the election alone, but I have millions of star campaigners in every household across the State. Mr. Naidu along with his tripartite alliance and another national party in his pocket is ready to attack our poor people. The alliance consists of parties that have bifurcated Andhra Pradesh in an unjust manner and parties that got fewer votes than NOTA! There are only leaders in the alliance, but none of them have people behind them”, Mr. Jagan said.
He criticised that unable to pedal his cycle alone, Mr. Naidu, along with his foster son and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan, went to Delhi and had to wait for days to seal an alliance. If Mr. Naidu thinks that Jagan Mohan Reddy has not fulfilled promises and delivered development, then why this alliance?, he questioned. This desperate move by Mr. Naidu reflected the work done by the YSRCP government in the last five years, he maintained.
The Chief Minister alleged that Mr. Naidu was famous for deceiving people with his false promises, and made a manifesto after copying schemes from various States. His latest manifesto was nothing but ‘Narakalokam’ & ‘Naralokam’, Mr. Jagan added.
