YSRCP Says Naidu Plotting To Evade Poll Promises

The YSR Congress Party has accused TDP chief N Chadrababu Naidu of plotting to evade poll promises by making "provocative statements" to divert public attention.

"Chandrababu Naidu making a special mention that political adversaries had been killed after YSR had come to power is highly provocative, and he is setting the agenda for the days to come. The killers of YSR's father took refuge in Naidu's house, and the TDP leader has a history of eliminating political adversaries and anyone who goes against him," YSRCP spokesperson Gattu Ramachandra Rao told reporters in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Rao alleged that political opponents and even TDP leaders were also "eliminated at the behest of Chandrababu Naidu".

He cited the gruesome killing of a powerful leader of a particular community in the heart of the city of Vijayawada, and the murders of a journalist and an IAS officer.

"All these were described as the handiwork of people in power during the TDP regime. The Party also has a history of creating killers and eliminating them, like Mallela Babji who sprang up from nowhere and vanished into thin air after getting undue publicity," he alleged.

"Speaking of elimination of political adversaries from the Mahanadu plank indicates the situation that would arise in the days to come, and as a prelude there were attacks on YSRCP's cadre and on sympathizers in East Godavari where a 70-year-old was killed for casting his vote against the TDP. There were attacks on YSRCP cadre in Gopavaram in the same district, in Khammam, in Guntur and in Krishna," he said.

"We will not take things lying down, and will take up all these issues at the appropriate forums and challenge the TDP in all its undemocratic acts. We have increased our voting by 400%, and with people on our side, we will ensure that the TDP does not shirk its responsibility and avoids delivering on its poll promises, as the farmers are eagerly waiting for the loan waivers with the agriculture season fast approaching," Rao said.

The YSRCP leader also ridiculed Naidu's contention that YSRCP was against the waiver of farm loans, as ridiculous. "It was YSR who had brought in a lion's share of Rs. 13,000 crores to the State, of the Rs. 64,000 crores in farm loan waivers nationwide," he said.

"The TDP seems to be in the search for a way out to escape from the waiver scheme as Prime Minister Narender Modi made no mention of it in his speech nor was it thoroughly spoke of in the Mahanadu, but we will take up the issue at every possible platform to highlight the deception by Naidu," he said.