Tirupati: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has urged voters to give the YSR Congress party a resounding mandate to continue with its welfare and progress agenda.
“The upcoming polls is a decisive battle between our agenda of prioritizing education, women's empowerment, farmer welfare and uplift of the poor as against a return to the previous TD government's anti-poor policies under Nara Chandrababu Naidu,” the chief minister said.
Addressing the Memantha Siddam public meeting at Konakanamitla Cross in Prakasam district on Sunday, the YSRC chief asserted that the elections were not just about electing MLAs and MPs. The polls would determine whether the state continues on his government's transformative course, he said.
Jagan Reddy urged the people to give his YSRCP a double century mandate of 175 assembly and 25 parliamentary seats. "Your son, Jagan, is on the side of the poor. Every vote of your family will decide which path you will take for the next five years," he told the gathering.
The chief minister accused his predecessor Chandrababu Naidu of attempting to derail pioneering welfare schemes like the volunteer system for doorstep delivery of pensions to the elderly.
He highlighted the enhancing of monthly pension to Rs 3,000 from the meagre Rs 1,000 during Naidu's tenure as chief minister.
Jagan Reddy alleged that Naidu had filed a complaint with the Election Commission, seeking to stop volunteers from distributing pensions at the beneficiaries' homes, which had led to over 30 deaths.
"A sadist is called someone who cannot see others' well-being. A sadist is called someone who cannot tolerate good happening to the poor," the CM said, accusing Chandrababu of being a "sadist" for obstructing the housing and pension schemes through court cases.
He cited the harassment faced by a Geetanjali, who had praised the government's welfare schemes. "Geetanjali's only 'sin' was saying that good is happening under our government. Chandrababu's people harassed her on social media, and she was forced to kill herself," Jagan Reddy alleged.
"Chandrababu is suffering from jealousy, bitterness, and stomach issues due to envy that cannot be cured even after taking 20 Gelusil tablets," Jagan remarked.
Contrasting his agenda with Naidu's tenure, Jagan Reddy asked: "Can you recall even a single scheme in which Chandrababu's name is mentioned? The person who was the chief minister for 14 terms has nothing to boast about doing good for the poor."
He listed his government's achievements of directly crediting Rs 2.7 lakh crore to women, children and the elderly across villages, implementing 99 per cent of manifesto promises, creating new districts, secretariats, ports and medical colleges.
Jagan Reddy accused Naidu and his alliance partners of failing to fulfill the 2014 poll promises like waiving farm loans, depositing Rs 25,000 for each newborn girl, providing unemployment allowance and according special category status to AP.
"They are coming again with 'Super Six' schemes to deceive the people once more," he said, referring to Naidu's Telugu Desam aligning with the Jana Sena and BJP. "Voting for Chandrababu is like putting your head in a tiger's mouth," the CM warned, exhorting voters to save Andhra's future by giving the YSRC an emphatic mandate.
