VIJAYAWADA: TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu made it clear that his party reached an alliance with the People’s Democratic Front in the MLC elections to the teachers and graduates constituencies only to avoid split of anti-incumbency votes so that the ‘outrageous’ YSRC should not win the seats.
In an open letter to teachers and graduates, Naidu felt that ever since the YSRC came to power in the State, democracy has been continuously being subjected to virtual onslaught. “As part of the attack, the YSRC, under the leadership of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has resorted to turn the MLC elections to the teachers and graduates constituencies into a farce,” he remarked.
“I am writing this open letter to tell the people, particularly those who exercise their franchise in the MLC polls on Monday, that the new developments have posed a serious threat to democracy,” he said.
Observing that the TDP always believes that power means a prime responsibility and government means an opportunity to serve the public, Naidu said the TDP always functions keeping in view the needs of the people and the future of the youth.
“When the TDP came to power in 2014, it strove hard to get investments to the State facing several challenges. We had created 10 lakh jobs both in public and private sectors and paid `2,000 each as allowance to over six lakh unemployed youths,” he recalled.
However, now the companies are running away from the State due to the ‘official terrorism’ by the YSRC government and as a result of which unemployment is growing heavily throwing the future of the youth into oblivion, the TDP supremo remarked. It is a known fact as to how this government has taken the youth for a ride with regard to the job calendar and DSC, he pointed out.
The TDP government accorded due recognition to employees and implemented 43%fitment for them despite financial problems post bifurcation. But now, leave alone the fitment as demanded by the employees, salaries are not being paid on time. The whole State had witnessed as to how the teachers were humiliated by drafting them for security duty at liquor shops, the TDP chief said and wanted the teachers and graduates to keep this in mind before exercising their franchise in the MLC polls.
“We saw large scale irregularities committed by the ruling YSRC in the local body elections held two years ago. Candidates from the opposition parties were not even allowed to file their nominations and that is how the ruling party misused its power. It has become a habit for the YSRC government to resort to irregularities in the elections and in the MLC polls too it has indulged in registering bogus voters on a large scale,” he alleged.
Stating that the TDP and other Opposition parties have already complained to the Election Commission with regard to bogus voters, Naidu called upon the electorate to cast their votes wisely and teach a lesson to the ruling YSRC. The second choice vote should be cast with caution only either to the TDP or to the PDF candidates, Naidu explained.