Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu took a swipe at the election manifesto of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), dubbing it as ‘Nava Mosalu’ or nine deceptions.
On Saturday, Andhra Pradesh CM and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy unveiled his party’s manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, pledging to raise welfare pensions from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 per month and propose Visakhapatnam (Vizag) as the executive capital.
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Slamming the TDP’s election pledges, arguing that their implementation would strain the state’s finances beyond capacity, he accused Chandrababu Naidu of returning with promises like “Super Six” and “Super Ten” to deceive the public once again, saying that the TDP’s initiatives would cost Rs 1,21,619 crores annually, an amount the state cannot afford.
To this, Naidu countered by questioning the actual impact of Reddy’s manifesto on the lives of the people, despite the latter’s claim of a 99 per cent implementation rate.
“Our Super 6 schemes are proven to be immensely successful and widely acclaimed. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Navarathana schemes are merely Nava Mosalu (nine deceptions). People will give zero marks to Jagan Reddy’s manifesto. Despite Jagan Reddy’s claim of implementing his manifesto by 99 per cent, has there been any tangible change in the lives of the people? Instead, people have been plunged into debt,” the TDP chief said while addressing a public meeting in Kurnool.
In the lead-up to the simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh on May 13, both the YSRCP and the TDP are actively campaigning, engaging with voters in their one last attempt to sway votes in their party’s favor. YSRCP released its ‘Navaratnalu Plus’ manifesto, with some changes from 2019. Conversely, the TDP proposed a fresh vision for Andhra Pradesh, highlighting their ‘Super Six’ assurances, such as the creation of 20 lakh jobs and a monthly unemployment stipend of Rs 3,000 if they assume power.
The primary opposition party, TDP, is set to contest against the incumbent YSRCP, in coalition with the Jana Sena Party and the BJP.
Andhra Pradesh has 25 Lok Sabha seats. In the 2019 Assembly elections, YSRCP won 151 seats, while TDP got 23. In the Lok Sabha polls, YSRCP secured 22 seats, leaving TDP with just three. Vote counting for the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections is scheduled for June 4.