Vijayawada: Buoyed by the massive victory at Nandyal, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday challenged YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to get his MPs to resign over the denial of special category status for AP, and force elections — a threat the Opposition leader had made some time ago.
Mr Naidu, speaking to mediapersons after the victory, was responding to Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy’s challenge to him to get defected YSRC MLAs to resign and seek reelection.
Mr Naidu compared Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy with Dera Sacha Sauda head Ram Rahim Singh for “promoting violence”, a reference to the Opposition leader’s “shoot Naidu” remark. He said the state was breathing easy after the YSRC’s defeat.
Mr Naidu said the Dera chief had misused his fame and cheated women who trusted him. Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy had also let down people who trusted him. Mr Naidu said the state’s reputation had been damaged by the YS family.
He said he had taken on leaders like Prime Ministers Mrs Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi on principles but never personally.
“I have never seen the kind of politics that is happening in the state. The language that Jagan used and the statements that he made has led to a nation-wide discussion. The criticism had gone beyond limits and the people of Nandyal taught him a lesson,” the CM said.
He said that though the Election Commission had warned him against using abusive words, there was no change in the attitude of the YSRC chief. The people were watching this.
He said the voters of Nandyal were fed up with the behaviour and language of Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy and had rejected him. He said society would lose due to leaders who try to instigate the people.
He said the voters had given a historical verdict by electing Mr Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy based on the performance of the TD government.
He pointed out that the YSRC had ignored a convention where the seat of a deceased legislator is offered to a member of his family. He said frequent byelections were not advisable as they hampered the administration.
