Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought support for NDA from Andhra Pradesh’s voters on Sunday as he shared the stage with former chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena party chief Pawan Kalyan.
This was the first joint and public appearance for Naidu and PM Modi after at least half-a-decade. Naidu, who was part of Modi government 1.0, had snapped ties with the NDA in 2018.
Speaking on the progress of the state, PM Modi appealed to the youth to vote for NDA and throw out a “corrupt” YSR Congress government. The prime minister, while hitting out at CM Jagan Mohan Reddy, said their only focus was on corruption and the ministers in the state “were competing to see who could be more corrupt than the other”.
In his first political appearance since the Election Commission announced the poll schedule, PM Modi had five key takeaways for the voters.
NDA = VIKSIT BHARAT, VIKSIT AP
Highlighting the work done by the Union government over the last 10 years and how focus has been on the development of every section of society, PM Modi reiterated that this election is extremely critical for the country because it will pave the way for a ‘Viksit Bharat’. He urged the people of the state to join that journey towards a developed India.
OPPOSITION INSULTS TELUGU PEOPLE
Hitting out at the Congress and the ruling YSR Congress, Modi said both the parties were corrupt and believed in similar ideologies.
“Do not get confused. The YSR Congress and the Congress party are two sides of the same coin,” he said at the rally. Invoking the legendary NTR, PM Modi said he fought for Telugu pride but was ill-treated by Congress. “A legend like NTR was also made to suffer at the hands of the Congress party, even if he spoke about the interest of the Telugu people. Even leaders like PV Narasimha Rao were never given their due. NDA always thinks beyond party lines and our government recently gave the Bharat Ratna to Rao,” Modi said.
CORRUPTION OUT IN 2024
PM Modi accused the YSR Congress government of being “extremely corrupt” and said it was time to bring a change in the state for development. “The state government is not interested in the development of the people. Interestingly, the only competition between the ministers is not for work, but to see who can be more corrupt,” the prime minister highlighted.
NAIDU AND KALYAN VOICE FOR ANDHRA
When PM Modi came to power in the Centre in 2014, it was the same time that TDP also assumed power in Andhra Pradesh. Chandrababu Naidu was the CM from 2014 to 2019. Pawan Kalyan, meanwhile, has openly said he is willing to ally with anybody who defeats the corrupt Jagan regime. The prime minister also underscored that unlike UPA partners, who only cared about vote bank and selfish politics, the NDA was an alliance where regional aspirations were allowed to thrive.
PM Modi lauded the efforts of both Naidu and Kalyan for the people of the state. “Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan have been fighting for your rights, they have been fighting for the development of Andhra Pradesh day and night,” he said.
CONTINUOUS FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT
Speaking at the rally, the prime minister threw light on the development pitch of his government and the special focus on empowerment of the youth. He said the Centre was committed to making Andhra Pradesh the educational hub of the country.
“To uplift the youth of AP, we will build NIDM, National Institute of Custom and Indirect Taxes at Palasamudram, IIT in Tirupati, IIITDM in Kurnool, IIM in Vizag, Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, AIIMS at Managalagiri, NID at Vijayawada, NIT at Tadepalligudem, Central Tribal University at Vizianagaram,” PM Modi said.
Just a week ago, the BJP-led NDA announced that the Telugu Desam Party and Jana Sena would join the NDA for the Lok Sabha as well as assembly elections in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
The seat arrangement has also been decided among the three parties. BJP will contest two Lok Sabha and eight assembly seats, TDP will contest 17 Lok Sabha seats and 145 assembly seats and JSP will contest two Lok Sabha and 22 assembly seats. The exact seat distribution is expected to be done in the next couple of days after the BJP CEC meeting takes place in the national capital.
Prominent leaders from the BJP who are expected to contest the Lok Sabha polls include Purandeshwari, daughter of NTR, who is likely to get a seat from Rajahmundry. Former union minister YS Chaudhry is expected to contest from Elaru, while former Rajya Sabha MP CM Ramesh is likely to contest from Anakapalli and YS Satya Kumar from Hindupur. The BJP is also keen on giving a Lok Sabha seat to former Andhra Pradesh CM Kiran Kumar Reddy.
In 2019, shocking election results saw the ouster of Chandrababu Naidu and TDP from both the state as well as Lok Sabha.
The party was able to win just three Lok Sabha seats out of 25 and received a massive drubbing in the assembly results, with Jagan Mohan Reddy sweeping polls with 155 MLAs and 22 Lok Sabha seats.
BJP, which has been desperately trying to find its foothold in Andhra Pradesh, polled less than 1 per cent. With the current alliance in place and anti-incumbency staring Jagan Mohan Reddy in the face, NDA is hoping for a huge boost to their chances.
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