Jagan Lashes Out at Naidu for his 'Bacha’ Jibe

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has lashed out at Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu for calling him a ‘bachcha’ (child) and asked him why he failed to care for the state’s poor during his rule.

“Why could you not implement any welfare scheme during your 14 years reign, unlike what I did in the last five years,” he asked Naidu.

Addressing a rally as part of his campaign tour at Ponnur Island Centre in Guntur district on Monday, he listed out his welfare initiatives, the Rythu Bharosa Kendras, Village Health Clinics, Family Doctor programme, development of government schools and hospitals under Nadu-Nedu, Amma Vodi, Aasara, Cheyutha, EBC Nestham and pension scheme of Rs.3,000 among others.

“If I am still a bachcha in politics, why did you not show the courage to fight me straight rather than allying with other parties before the polls,” Jagan Mohan Reddy asked Naidu.

Jagan Mohan Reddy urged the people, “I appeal to you all to elect all 175 YSRC nominees for the Assembly and 25 for the Lok Sabha without giving even a singe seat to other parties. I promise you to continue with the welfare schemes for all your benefit.”

Pulling out the manifesto of the Telugu Desam released in 2014 with the photos of Naidu, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan and BJP leaders, the Chief Minister asked Naidu, “You slept for five years. When are you going to implement these promises?”

The CM claimed, “Nearly 31 lakh house site pattas were given away to women beneficiaries of our housing scheme and construction of 22 lakh houses is on.”

The CM said that when he formed the Cabinet, he gave fair representation to disadvantaged sections of the population. Some 68 per cent of it comprised ministers from SCs, STs, BCs and minorities, he said.

“I pressed the computer button 135 times to transfer Rs.2.70 lakh crore to the scheme beneficiaries, of which 75 per cent were poor.”

“Even for the 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats, 50 per cent of the nominees belonged to the SC, ST, BC and minorities. The YSRC is committed to the cause of social justice.”

Earlier, while addressing a meeting at Ambajipeta, the YSRC chief said the present elections were not between himself and Chandababu Naidu. “It rather is a fight between the poor and the fraud perpetrated by Naidu.”

“If the YSR Congress is elected to power for a second term, it would continue all the welfare schemes with more benefits to the beneficiaries. But, if the TD-led alliance forms the government, it would discontinue all such schemes. “Naidu has a habit of not implementing his promises,” he stressed.

Earlier in the day at Kothur Junction of Chodavaram of Anakapalli district, Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “If you vote for Chandrababu Naidu, all the welfare schemes in the state will turn into ‘Govinda…Govinda’.”

“Naidu failed to get Special Category Status to AP and he failed to keep Hyderabad as the common capital for both AP and TS. He was in a hurry to exit from Hyderabad and reach the newly formed AP, for fear he would be jailed there in the note for vote case,” the CM said.