The YSR Congress Party has alleged that TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu was Scared of facing the elections on his own and therefore, is trying to cobble up a Front inviting yet-to-launch political parties. However, his grand alliance will fall flat before the popularity wave of YSR Congress which is all set to hog the limelight in the ensuing multiple elections to local bodies, Assembly and Parliament.
“Chandrababu Naidu has been frustrated with his party rating taking a beating during the past four years while YSR Congress, which will complete three years of its launch soon, stood as a force winning election after election and the TDP leader is trying to set-up a Front by creating a Grand Alliance which will have no impact as people have shown their mood in the earlier elections,” party spokesperson Konda Raghava Reddy told reporters here on Monday.
Chandrababu Naidu who used to carry his signature mark of waving two fingers as a victory symbol has changed to waving his hand at the crowds. Both TDP and Congress have ganged up in the twin Godavari districts to fight against YSR Congress and won a couple of seats in a shameful manner.
“This time around, Naidu inviting Kiran Kumar Reddy and his Party and a film actor who is in the news for planning to launch a new party only shows that the TDP is scared of going to the people and has send enough signals that it will have an understanding with political parties, open, secret or otherwise with the singular view of fighting the common adversary YSRCP but such designs have taken a beating on many occasions,” he said.
The remarks of State Election Commissioner P Ramakanath Reddy clearly show that there was laxity on part of the State Government as it did not hold the local bodies’ elections on time. “It is proven beyond doubt that Kiran Kumar Reddy has just put aside the spirit of Panchayat Raj and elections were called only after Supreme Court has passed serious strictures against the State Government.
For three years neither the Chief Minister nor the leader of Opposition were bothered about decentralization of power by holding elections to local bodies. Now these two, who worked for mutual benefit are coming together to face the multi-layer elections.
The state has lost over Rs 6,000 crores of Central funds as there were no elected representatives at Panchayat and mandal levels.
Equally responsible for the laxity are the Botsa Satyanaryana and his successor as Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy. YSR had the vision of planning for polls to local bodies immediately after the government was formed so that election code will not affect other welfare schemes. After him governance came to a standstill in the state.
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has gone a step further and said, the elections need not be postponed on the pretext of BC reservations and has called upon all political parties to arrive at a consensus on the number of seats to be given to BCs and go ahead with the polls.
Congress and TDP which were on a losing spree in the by-elections were naturally averse to his idea and now the elections scenario has been over-crowded, he said.
YSR welfare schemes have benefitted all sections of the society and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy being with the people and fighting with their cause will reflect in the mandate in the elections, he said.