VIJAYAWADA: BJP State chief Daggubati Purandeswari reiterated that a final call on the electoral alliance in Andhra Pradesh will be taken by the central leadership. Speaking to reporters before the party’s State election management committee meeting on Saturday, she announced that Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh will visit Vijayawada on February 27 and preside over the meeting of the BJP Core Committees of all Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh.
Stating that the BJP leaders in the State are currently focused on strengthening the party, she asserted that once the high command announces its decision on poll alliances in Andhra Pradesh, they will act accordingly. However, it has been learnt that the central leadership will announce the decision to join the TDP-JSP combine in the next few days and subsequently also finalise the sharing of seats.
Further, Purandeswari expressed her reservations over the election being free or fair in the State. She said the BJP has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India regarding the violations of poll guidelines. Pointing out that Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasad Rao had asked the volunteers to bring voters to the booths and ‘act as polling agents’, she said, “This is a clear violation of ECI guidelines.”
“During a programme in Guntur’s Phirangipuram on February 2, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy himself asked the volunteers to bring senior citizens to polling booths and encourage them to vote for fan (YSRC poll symbol). I have written a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner citing all these incidents,” she added.
Asserting that the BJP is the true champion of people, Purandeswari said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has realised the 500-year-old dream of people by inaugurating the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Elaborating on the party’s Praja Poru Yatra, she said, “We will seek the people’s mandate by highlighting what the BJP has done for the State.” Senior leaders GVL Narasimha Rao, B Sivanarayana and others were present.