VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee chief YS Sharmila Reddy on Saturday launched the ‘Gadapa Gadapa Ku Congress Party’ campaign in Vijayawada and also unveiled the party’s nine guarantees for Andhra Pradesh.
The nine promises include Special Category Status for the State for a period of 10 years, Rs 8,500 to poor women per month under Mahila Mahalakshmi scheme, crop loan waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh, new MSP to provide farmers 50% more returns over the investment, free education from KG to PG, filling up of 2.25 lakh government vacant posts, houses built with Rs 5 lakh for poor women who don’t own a house, Rs 6,000 per month pension for differently-abled, and Rs 4,000 per month social security pension for those eligible.
Addressing the gathering, Sharmila asserted that once Congress forms the government, the nine guarantees will be implemented. “Victory of Congress is the need of the hour,” she asserted.
Regarding the announcement on the party’s candidates, the APCC chief said a total of 1,500 applications were received for 175 Assembly and 25 Parliamentary constituencies. “Surveys were conducted and applications were scrutinised to finalise the candidates, who will be chosen based on their abilities and efforts,” she explained.
Pointing out that Congress is a national party, she said candidates will be selected in a democratic manner. Further, she urged leaders, who may not get tickets, to not be disheartened and strive for the party, people and the country.
She stressed that Congress should form the government at the Centre to prevent Manipur like incidents in the country and to safeguard democracy.
Lambasting the TDP and the YSRC, she said though BJP did not help in the development of the State in any manner, both the regional parties have become subservient to the saffron party. “BJP has not fulfilled a single assurance made during State bifurcation,” she pointed out.
Mocking the alliance, Sharmila quipped, “TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu had divorced the BJP in 2019, and has now married it again.” Stating that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was extending unofficial support to the saffron party, she recalled that Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman had called the YSRC president the adopted son of Narendra Modi.