VISAKHAPATNAM: The BJP kickstarted its Praja Poru Yatra from Visakhapatnam on Sunday. The yatra, led by State BJP president Somu Veerraju, will cover all Assembly constituencies in the State to reach out to people, particularly beneficiaries of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes. As part of the yatra, the BJP will organise 5,000 meetings in towns and villages with the sole objective of coming to power in the State in the next Assembly elections.
The BJP, which does not have a formidable foothold in the State, is trying to gain the support of the people by highlighting the welfare schemes and development programmes of the Centre. A host of Union ministers have been making frequent visits to the State and highlighting the Centrally sponsored schemes to strike a chord with the voters.
Speaking after flagging off the bus yatra, Veerraju said Andhra Pradesh was staring at a bleak future as family parities were ruling the State without any direction. “There is no ruling, only trading in the State,” he remarked.
As part of the yatra, BJP activists will visit the areas developed by the Centre under various schemes and explain the growth initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the people. According to an estimate, there are about 2.8 crore beneficiaries of Centrally sponsored schemes in the State. The yatra is aimed at strengthening the BJP as a major force in the State.“Both the ruling YSRC and Opposition TDP have resorted to mind game. The BJP will outsmart the two parties in the mind game,” Veerraju asserted.
Ridiculing the three-capital proposal of the YSRC government, he said the YSRC leaders from North Coastal Andhra have no moral right to obstruct Maha Padayatra of the Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi from Amaravati to Arasavalli.
He alleged that the State government was not extending cooperation to the Centre to execute new railway projects in the State. “The government does not have funds for even maintenance of irrigation projects,” he observed.
On Central aid to AP, he said Rs 15,000 crore has been provided for Polavaram and 32 lakh houses have been sanctioned for the State under various housing schemes. But the State government was not providing its share of Rs 1.5 lakh for each house, he said.