NANDYAL : Administering a fresh dose of adrenaline to the TDP’s election campaign in Nandyal, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday kick-started his two-day tour of the constituency to canvass for votes on behalf of nominee Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy and said the yellow party’s margin of victory would be a befitting reply to YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s “verbal venom”.
“We do not need bullets to win the election. We’ll respond with votes,” he said barely three days ahead of the polling in a not-so-veiled response to the Opposition party president’s call to “shoot down the likes of Naidu”.
Naidu’s strategy to turn the political tide in his party’s favour relied on attacking Jagan and promising development projects for Nandyal. The Chief Minister was accompanied by tourism minister Akhila Priya, the daughter of late TDP leader Bhuma Nagireddy whose sudden demise had necessitated the byelection.
Naidu, unlike Jagan, was careful in the choice of his words and steered clear of abusive epithets, but managed to indicate that the YSRC chief was lying. “It is ridiculous that Jagan Mohan Reddy should say he has neither money nor newspaper nor channel. Let him explain who owns Sakshi newspaper and channel,” the Chief Minister said before wondering out loud why a person like him who works solely for the welfare of the people should be shot down.
The TDP chief alleged Jagan knew of his imminent defeat and had in desperation used intemperate language. “This is the upbringing of the one one who wants to become the Chief Minister. Do you want our children to speak such language?” he asked the crowds that had gathered to hear him speak.
Revving up the spirits of the youth, Naidu invited them to become “partners” in the development of Nandyal. “I am happy to see youth coming forward in large numbers. I am in the process of developing Nandyal into a seed capital, the seeds of which can be exported to various countries,” he said and recalled how he had brought Kia Motors and Hero to Rayalaseema to provide employment to youth in the backward region.
The skull cap-clad Chief Minister made several whistle-stop addresses at Ayyaluru Metta which has a sizable number of Muslims.Turning the focus on the `16,000-crore revenue deficit the state had inherited at the time of its bifurcation, which has not yet been paid, the Chief Minister said he had waived off `24,000-crore farmers debts despite the financial crunch. He also reminded the crowds of his efforts in extending interest-free loans of up to one lakh and loans of up to `3 lakhs at an interest of just 25 paise to farmers.
“The government has sanctioned 13,000 houses for Nandyal. The idea is that everyone here should have a house of their own. If the late YS Rajasekhar Reddy had built houses during his tenure as Chief Minister, as claimed by his scion, why are there so many homeless people in Nandyal,” he asked.
He disputed the claim of the YSRC that he had undertaken development works in Nandyal only because of the byelection. “The development works happening now in Nandyal are those which Bhuma Nagireddy had dreamed before his untimely demise. He joined the TDP with the dream of developing Nanyal. We’re now fulfilling his dream,” he said.