“The time has come for the people to decide whether they will be with the TDP and the YSRCP on one side, or sail with the JSP, the CPI, the CPI(M) and the BSP on the other,” JSP president Pawan Kalyan said on Saturday.
“People have seen enough of selfish politics,” Mr. Pawan Kalyan said, and added that the JSP had been vocal in its demand for Special Category Status (SCS) unlike other parties that used it for mere rhetoric.
He questioned why the YSRCP did not contest the elections in Telangana if it had no deal with the TRS.
Dig at Jagan
Mr. Pawan Kalyan asserted that people were not prepared to hand over the reins of power to YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, saying that if Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy became the Chief Minister, anti-social elements would rule the State.
“Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has criminals, who allegedly destroyed the evidence in the Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy murder case, moving around him, but he is feigning ignorance of what might have happened in his stronghold (Pulivendula),” Mr. Pawan Kalyan alleged.
Campaigning for the candidates for Vijayawada East (Battina Ramu, JSP), Vijayawada West (P.V. Mahesh, JSP) and Vijayawada Central (Ch. Babu Rao, CPI-M) Assembly constituencies, he said Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had once stated that he would not allow Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy into his State, but later went on to extend tacit support to him as part of their secret agenda.
Stating that it was not proper on the part of Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao to interfere in the affairs of A.P., Mr. Pawan Kalyan suggested him (KCR) to settle scores, if any, with his counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu personally and not drag people into it.
Capital city
On construction of capital city, he said, “Had I been the Chief Minister, I would have acquired 5,000 acres of land in the initial phase and built the city gradually instead of being in a rush like Mr. Naidu. Pooling of about 30,000 acres at a stretch resulted in destruction of agriculture.”
Mr. Pawan Kalyan said if JSP formed the government, he would first introduce pension for the farmers who had been bearing the brunt of government neglect and market vagaries.
The JSP president said he was also committed to providing free education and free health, besides dealing with criminals sternly.
Staff Reporter in Machilipatnam writes:
Earlier, kick-starting his election campaign in Krishna district, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said at a meeting in Nuzvid that those who funded the meetings of Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy were not given a chance to contest the elections. Mr. Reddy exploited his supporters financially, he charged.
Directing his ire at TDP’s Eluru MP Maganti Babu, the JSP president said , “Mr. Maganti Babu was seen sleeping in Parliament. It shows the TDP efforts to address issues.”
The JSP is fielding P. Pulla Rao in the Eluru LS segment against Mr. Babu.
On Mr. Naidu’s claim of being the CEO of the State, Mr. Pawan said, “I prefer to be a servant of the people. I promise that none of the welfare schemes will be named after me.”
Deciding factor
Relying upon first-time voters and youth to register victory, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said youth would decide the results in nearly 70% of the Lok Sabha seats in the country in 2019.
Expressing confidence of becoming Chief Minister, he promised to promote mango exports from Nuzvid.
Mr. Pawan Kalyan alleged that the TDP betrayed Nuzvid without taking any initiative for its development. He assured that private investors would be welcomed to set up agri-based industries with the guarantee of employment opportunities for locals.