Predicting a hung Parliament, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday envisaged a pivotal role for his party and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti in the formation of the next government at Centre.
He expressed confidence that “the two parties will sweep the polls in the two Telugu-speaking States with the YSRCP bagging 25 and the TRS 17 MP seats each.” In the present political situation no party would be in a position to form the next government on its own, he opined, adding: “we (YSRCP and TRS) will insist on granting SCS to Andhra Pradesh in return for support to a party or parties forming the new government.”
The assertion of Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy came a day after TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao stating more and more regional parties, including Trinamool Congress, Biju Janata Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party joining the Federal Front after the polls.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who addressed a series of election rallies in Gudur in Nellore district and Giddalur and Darsi in Prakasam district, accused Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu of mortgaging the State’s interests by not insisting upon the SCS to protect his ‘personal interests’. The TDP government had written to the Centre against setting up of a port at Dugarajapatnam to favour a private player, he alleged.
“With the coveted status, every district in the State will be developed into a Hyderabad to ensure jobs for unemployed youth in new industries,” he asserted.
Amid loud cheer, Mr. Reddy said: “Babu (CM) should go and Jagan should come (to power).”
Jobs for locals
The YSRCP on coming to power in the State would enact a legislation to reserve 75% of jobs for the local people and within the quota 50% for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Minorities in the very first Assembly session itself and fill at one go over 2.30 lakh vacancies in government departments.
“I have seen your sufferings during my padayatra. I have given a
listening ear to your woes. I am there to take care of one and all,” he said and promised to bring smiles on the faces of each and every section of people by implementing the host of promises made during the 3,648-km walkathon.
Making mention of the alleged poor track record of Mr. Naidu in keeping poll promises in the last five years and in undivided Andhra pradesh in the past, he cautioned the people saying that if by mistake he was voted back to power, anarchy would prevail in the State and people’s lives would become more miserable.
Ryots’ woes
Referring to an analysis made an Independent organisation based on affidavits submitted by political party leaders which had found Mr. Naidu to be the richest Chief Minister in the country, he said in contrast a study made by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development found farmers in the State having maximum debt when compared to their counterparts elsewhere in the country. Farmers were in deep trouble as the market prices for most crops, including cotton, red gram, and bengal gram were below the minimum support price in the State.
“Do we want a government that does not take care of farmers,” he asked and the assembled gathering responded by saying a big no.
Though Prakasam district was entitled to 60 tmcft of assured water from the river Krishna as per the Tribunal award, the Chief Minister had not ensured even 20 tmcft in any of the five years, he alleged, adding that Mr. Naidu for the sake of kickbacks had changed contractor and delayed completion of the Veligonda project even after a majority of the project works had been completed during the late YSR regime itself.