Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 1 : Reiterating allegations against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, former CM and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday accused him of attempting to seize control of civic bodies where the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lacks numbers.
According to a release by the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Jagan said that "rampant corruption, nepotism, and atrocities have become the order of the day" under the current regime.
Addressing local body and party representatives from Kakinada, Chittoor, Prakasam, and Satyasai districts, Jagan alleged that Naidu has shown a "template" of usurping power, even without having the required numbers from his own Kuppam constituency, through coercion, inducement, and threats.
"But days will change. In Jagan 2.0, things will be different. I salute all those who stood by value-based politics and did not yield to the enticements of TDP," Jagan said.
He has also been giving away lands to his favoured few at throwaway prices to Ursa and Lallu group and giving mobilization advance for kickbacks. All the welfare schemes we had launched were either stopped or diluted.
Citing the Kuppam municipality example, Jagan said that YSRCP had won 16 out of 25 seats, with TDP securing just six. Chandrababu began his foul play from here, taking away our candidates using all sorts of threats and enticements besides misusing police force, giving wrong signals to other local bodies to follow suit as to how the Chairperson post can be "usurped."
Winning and losing are common in elections, but what is truly important is whether you have won the hearts of the people or not. People staying with the Party from which you were elected have elevated you and the Party's morals, which will pay dividends in the coming days, Jagan said.
He pointed to other examples, such as the Gandla Penta MPP, where YSRCP won six of seven MPTC seats, but TDP "claimed victory" through similar tactics. In Markapuram, however, YSRCP won all 15 seats and "stood firm." Similarly, in Kakinada, YSRCP won 26 of 30 seats, resisting alleged pressure from TDP.
"Today, TDP workers are not in a position to go to the people, as Chandrababu has failed on all his poll promises. They will be sharply questioned and compared with our governance, which was far better despite the Covid pandemic," Jagan said.
Jagan also criticised the state government for neglecting the education sector and failing to clear fee reimbursement dues. "Students had started returning to government schools during our term. Now the trend has reversed," he said.
He stated that pending dues under the Aarogyasri health scheme have accumulated to Rs 3500 crore and that farmers are in dire distress. "Land, liquor, and sand scams are in full swing, and the safeguard mechanisms like reverse tendering and judicial reviews have been discarded. Elected representatives have become collection agents for all forms of economic activity," he alleged.
"Such atrocious governance will not stay long, and the coming days will be ours, which will take care of all the cadre," Jagan concluded.