Amaravati, Oct 19 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Monday alleged that the YSR Congress Party was using Gen-Z as ‘pawns’ for its political ends.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) National President alleged that YSRCP was “willing to do anything and commit any crime to secure political power.”
Addressing a press conference, Naidu alleged that the YSRCP creates disturbances and then attempts to blame him.
The Chief Minister also accused YSRCP President and former Chief Minister, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, of adopting double standards on the Election Commission.
He said Jagan’s party earlier supported the process for selecting the Chief Election Commissioner but was now making various allegations after suffering electoral setbacks.
Naidu was reacting to Jagan’s remarks at a press conference on Sunday, where he called for restoring the earlier system of appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners by a panel including the Chief Justice of India to restore public confidence in the Election Commission.
Naidu alleged that YSRCP allegedly manipulated local body elections for large-scale unopposed victories when it was in power.
He claimed that under the YSRCP rule, the then State Election Commissioner (SEC) was forced to write to the Centre seeking protection. When the SEC reported large-scale irregularities in local body elections, he was criticised instead of being supported.
During the previous YSRCP government, 24 per cent of MPTC seats and 19 per cent of ZPTC seats were won unopposed. Those unopposed victories were allegedly secured through the misuse of official power, Naidu alleged.
Naidu alleged that the previous government introduced legislation aimed at disqualifying Opposition candidates and that liquor bottles were allegedly planted in the homes of Opposition candidates to implicate them and Opposition parties were prevented from filing nominations.
“Candidates were not even allowed to file nominations in Pulivendula (Jagan Mohan Reddy’s constituency). In contrast, candidates from various parties, including the YSRCP, have filed nominations in Kuppam, Pithapuram and Pulivendula in the current elections,” he said.
The TDP chief claimed that there were no instances of such a large number of nominations being filed during the YSRCP’s tenure. He alleged that YSRCP relied on violence both in the past and in the present elections.
He said the government will take appropriate action against the alleged excesses of YSRCP leaders. The coalition will also confront the party politically and expose its actions. The previous government misused official power, while its leaders are now resorting to attacks and intimidation, he claimed.
Chandrababu Naidu alleged that when Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy was murdered attempts were made to shift the blame on to him. He said that he was now being held responsible for violence allegedly committed by the YSRCP.
“Violence has no place in my life. But I will not run away from criminals and rowdies. Those who take action against rowdies and goons may become targets of retaliation, but I will not be intimidated by their threats,” the TDP national President said.
He alleged that the YSRCP president was staying in Bengaluru, engaging in acts of lawlessness and visiting Andhra Pradesh occasionally to hold press conferences before returning.
Stating that the next 20 years are crucial for Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister called for curbing violence and keeping criminals away from public life.
People must elect good leaders and ensure that good governments remain in power, he said and appealed to people to support coalition candidates in local body elections.
–IANS
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