Hyderabad
Former union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Daggubati Purandeswari, who took over as the president of Andhra Pradesh BJP unit on Thursday, refused to commit on an alliance with the Telugu Desam Party in the forthcoming assembly elections in the state.
After assuming the charge, Purandeswari told reporters that the party’s national leadership would look into the issue of forging alliances with other parties in the state. She, however, said the BJP would continue its friendly relations with Jana Sena Party headed by actor Pawan Kalyan.
“Our former president of Andhra BJP Somu Veerraju had regularly been in touch with Pawan Kalyan. The Jana Sena Party is always our friendly party,” she said.
Purandeswari was accorded a grand welcome at the Gannavaram airport by the BJP leaders and cadre. Former chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, Somu Veerraju, Y Satya Kumar and other leaders accompanied her.
Before flying to Vijayawada, she offered floral tributes to her late father and former chief minister N T Rama Rao at his Samadhi in Hyderabad.
She said she would put in her best efforts to strengthen the BJP in the state. “A malicious propaganda has been going on against the BJP in the state (that it was favouring the YSR Congress party headed by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy). Like for any other state, the BJP government at the Centre was extending support to Andhra Pradesh, without linking it to votes,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}She said she would put in her best efforts to strengthen the BJP in the state. “A malicious propaganda has been going on against the BJP in the state (that it was favouring the YSR Congress party headed by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy). Like for any other state, the BJP government at the Centre was extending support to Andhra Pradesh, without linking it to votes,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Accusing the Jagan government of rebranding the central government schemes as its own, Purandeshwari demanded that the state government make public the facts relating to the Centre’s support to the state.
“While the Centre is extending financial assistance of ₹6,000 to each farmer every year under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, the state government is claiming it as its own assistance under the Rythu Bharosa scheme,” she pointed out.
She sought to know what had happened to Jagan’s promise to provide ₹12,500 each to farmers as investment support.
Purandeswari said ₹20,000 crore was given to the state by the Centre for construction of houses in nine years. While 65% houses should have been completed by now, not even 35% work is completed. “The Jagan government should explain where the funds released by the Centre under various schemes have gone,” she said.
She also blamed it on the YSRCP government for the delay in construction of the Polavaram project. She said that if the state government can’t complete the work, it should leave it to the Centre which is funding the project.
The BJP state president also alleged that the law and order situation in the state was pretty bad and so was the condition of roads. “The state has not been getting any investors while those who have already set up industries in the state are moving to other states,” she said.
The YSRCP leaders could not be reached to comment on Purandeswari’s allegations.