BJP leader D. Purandeswari, who has been elevated as party national general secretary, on Sunday asserted that she would strive to see her party wrest power from the YSRCP in the State in the next elections.
Happy over her elevation to the coveted post, Ms. Purandeswari told the media at Chirala in Prakasam district that it was natural for any party to aspire for power. While working hard to strengthen the party at the national level, she would pay special attention to Andhra Pradesh, where she was sure that the party would emerge as an alternative to the YSRCP.
Capital issue
Replying to a question, she denied that the BJP’s stand on the three capital issue was ambivalent. Party leader Ram Madhav had enunciated the stand amply clear on the issue, she said.
While questioning the need for three capitals for Andhra Pradesh at a time when Uttar Pradesh, a much bigger State, had only one, Mr. Madhav had maintained that the Centre had only a limited role in the matter.
Ms. Purandeswari said the opposition parties were raking a needless controversy over the three farm bills. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by setting in the agriculture reforms process through the three pieces of legislation, wanted to ensure doubling of the income of farmers, she said.
Farmers should not get carried away by the opposition parties’ disinformation campaign over the bills — Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 (FPTC), Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 (FAPAFS), and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
She thanked Mr. Modi, party president J.P. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for reposing faith in her, and promised to do justice to the post.
Ms. Purandeswari described the BJP as a party with a difference. “Those who toil for the party’s growth get recognition in the party, which has emerged as the biggest entity in the world in terms of membership,” she said, and made a mention of some of the leaders figuring in the Nadda team, including K. Laxman, who was appointed president of the National OBC Morcha.