Condemning her rivals’ criticism that she is a ‘non-local’, YSRC nominee for Chittoor Lok Sabha constituency Samanya Kiran said she was born and brought up in the district but had to shift to Kothagudem due to her parents’ job. She also contends that she is not a Telangana protagonist and urged her rivals not make baseless allegations on her. Kiran says if elected, she would work to develop the most backward region of Kuppam, represented by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, and fight to ensure minimum support price for farmers.
Excerpts from an interview with her.
Opposition parties have been raking up your non-local issue. How do you see it? Is it an election strategy of your opponents?
I don’t think there is specific strategy. The opposition is fearful about their prospects seeing the popularity of our party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and that is why they are raking up the issue.
Due to various circumstances, the birth place and the place where you grow up change and that can’t be the criteria to decide one as a local or non-local.
What about your opponent N Siva Prasad’s (TDP) allegations that you are a Telangana protagonist?
There is no truth in such allegations. I hail from this region. I was born in Putalapattu mandal and studied in Madanapalle. My parents had to shift to Kothagudem due to their jobs forcing me also to go. Because I stayed for so long in Telangana, it doesn’t mean that I am a Telangana protagonist. Even TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao’s family hails from Srikakulam. Then why are they not talking about his non-local issue? If he (Siva Prasad) has the support of the people let him win the election and show.
You are contesting an election for the first time. Tell us how you are feeling about entering politics?
It is quite an emotional feeling. Though I am new in politics, I am going ahead with the same spirit in which Jagan Mohan Reddy is going ahead to fulfill the dreams of his father. His fighting spirit is giving me the much-needed energy.
Tell us what is the response from the people to your campaign?
My constituency -- from Tirupati to Kuppam and Chittoor to Nagari -- is filled with divergent with people speaking three different languages. People are extending their complete support to YSRC and the support that I got from the BCs, SCs, STs and minorities in Chandragiri, Putalapattu and Palamaneru constituencies is astonishing. This has increased my confidence.
What are the problems that you have identified in the constituency and how you are going to solve them?
The main issue is that of traffic. For this, there is a need to lay a six-lane road from Tirupati to Chittoor and a double railway line between Katpadi and Tirupati. Similarly, a four-lane road is also needed at Nangili bordering Karnataka. A traffic zone will be set up for each mandal headquarters and traffic dividers will be set up on national highways.
Employment is a major issue forcing people to migrate to other districts in search of a livelihood. What is your plan to tackle the situation?
As there were no development works taken up in the constituency, daily workers are forced to migrate. I will encourage setting up of small scale industries with the locally available resources and provide marketing at the international and national level for the products to provide a livelihood to locals and prevent migration.