Naidu, Pawan Rain Corruption Charges Against YSRC Bigwigs

Tirupati: Telugu Desam president Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan have launched a scathing attack on YSRC leaders Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and Bhumana Karunakar Reddy. Addressing a rally in Punganur on Tuesday, Naidu trained his guns on Cabinet minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and the latter’s family. The TD chief claimed that Ramachandra Reddy clan has illicitly accumulated a staggering ₹30,000 crore over the past five years through liquor syndicates, sand mining rackets, quarrying and other unlawful means.

"Peddireddy demands kickbacks from even small contracts like road construction and tomato procurement," thundered the former chief minister. He accused the minister's family of using muscle power and political influence to monopolise businesses in the region. Naidu exhorted voters to elect BJP's Rajampet MP candidate Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy and the TD's Punganur Assembly nominee Challa Ramachandra Reddy (Challa Babu) to check Ramachandra Reddy's dominance. Kiran Kumar charged Ramachandra Reddy of collecting bribes even from the common man. Later in Tirupati, the TD chief mocked Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led dispensation, alleging that thieves have entered the temple city to loot the wealth of Tirumala temple and the public as well. He canvassed for TD’s Chandragiri Assembly candidate Pulivarthi Nani, ally Jana Sena's Tirupati nominee Arani Srinivasula, and BJP’s MP nominee V. Vara Prasada Rao. On his part, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan accused TTD Borad chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy's son Abhinay of making crores through kickbacks and corrupt means, like selling even chicken feathers for ₹20 lakh per month. He went on to allege that Karunakar Reddy and Ramachandra Reddy families are involved in the multi-crore TDR bonds scam and red sanders smuggling.

Promising to cleanse Tirumala of the prevailing corruption culture, Pawan Kalyan vowed to revive the practice of allowing Tirupati locals for darshan at the hill shrine every second Tuesday if elected. He also assured sufficient funds to institutions like SV University and SVIMS from the resources of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The Jana Sena chief slammed the YSRC regime for driving away industries like Amara Raja Batteries. He assured that the NDA government at the centre will facilitate the return of such industries.