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‘Chandrababu Naidu’s promises have fallen flat, he has betrayed people of Andhra’: Jaganmohan Reddy
Jaganmohan reddy said that he has no faith in the national parties as both the Congress and the BJP have betrayed the state.
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy has blamed both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of failing Andhra Pradesh and said he would support at the Centre whoever fulfils the demand for a special category status for the state.
He spoke to Aurangzeb Naqshbandi about the national and assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh on April 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s minimum income scheme. Edited Excerpts:
What are the key issues in this election?
It is going to be a battle between credibility versus betrayal. [Chief minister] Chandrababu Naidu has betrayed Andhra Pradesh’s people. His entire governance, his promises of 2014 and what he delivered… all have fallen flat. This also includes the special category status. He was with the BJP for four years and his MPs were in the NDA [National Democratic Alliance] cabinet. Yet he did nothing about it. Corruption is also a big issue and in Andhra Pradesh, it has gone way beyond anybody’s imagination. People see through it. Then you have Amravati scam. Naidu knew where the capital was coming and he intentionally misled that capital was coming elsewhere and then he and his benamis bought land where the capital was actually coming. After they bought land, he announced the capital there. This actually translates to insider trading or breach of oath of secrecy. After they bought land, he ensured that the majority of such land was not acquired and got the adjoining land acquired. Whatever he acquired in the disguise of land pooling, he started giving to people of his choice at whatever rates he wanted. That is a big scam.
Are you confident of ousting Telugu Desam Party this time?
Last time, the difference between winning and losing was barely 1%. Today, the situation is totally different. Last time, Naidu had no anti-incumbency against him. He was in the Opposition and he could lie and people believed his lies. He also projected his nine years of chief ministership as experience and he also had a little bit of Modi euphoria and a little bit of Pawan Kalyan factor on his side. All that put together gave him those numbers in 2014.
You have linked your support to the next dispensation at the Centre to the special category status.
We have no faith in the national parties. Both the Congress and the BJP have betrayed us. On the floor of Parliament, Congress assured special category status at the time of [Andhra Pradesh]’s bifurcation [in 2014]. The BJP supported it and went a step ahead by promising 10 years of special category status. So, Congress betrayed us by breaking the state against our wishes and also by not incorporating this promise in the AP Reorganisation Act. Had they done so, we could have gone to the Supreme Court. They [BJP] have also failed us. The BJP included this in its manifesto and Modi promised 10 years special category status in Tirupati in 2014. And when he was in a position to deliver, he did nothing. So, he also cheated us. There is an element of mistrust when it comes to national parties. We will have good numbers God willing and thanks to KCR [Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao]. He [KCR] has also pledged support to our special category status demand. His 17 MPs added to our 25 will become a big chunk. God willing, it looks like a hung Parliament. So, for anybody wanting to form a government at the Centre, our support will be crucial. And our demand would be special category status. You sign and we are with you, whosoever it is.
How important is the Pawan Kalyan factor this time?
A: Last time, all those who sympathised with Pawan Kalyan voted for Chandrababu Naidu. This time, there is a tacit understanding between Naidu and Pawan Kalyan with the sole intention of splitting the anti-incumbency vote. But even then, I don’t think any anti-incumbency vote will split. Everybody who sympathised with Pawan Kalyan earlier voted for TDP and now that he has formed his own outfit (Jana Sena), the vote split will happen on the TDP side not ours.
Chandrababu Naidu has accused you of joining hands with KCR who is considered a major proponent of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. He also calls you a B-team of BJP. What is your counter?
See, how anybody can say that we (TRS and YSRCP) have an understanding with BJP when there is no alliance. Where is the BJP? Moreover, what is BJP’s strength in my state that there should be any alliance with them? None of the national parties command any vote share in Andhra Pradesh. Why should there be an alliance? After the elections, God knows who would become the Prime Minister. As far we (TRS and YSRCP) are concerned, we are pretty focused. Once the elections are over and the numbers come out, whosoever wants to form the government, I presume they would come and look up to us and promise to fulfill our aspirations, our dream and honour the word that was given to us on the floor of Parliament. KCR garu and we don’t have an alliance but an understanding that one supports the other. He has come forward to support our cause. I don’t think that is causing any damage to my party in my state that was broken five years ago. All parties, including the Congress and the TDP, had then supported the division. How is it okay when TDP and Congress come together and fight the assembly elections in alliance in Telangana? Naidu had even tried to negotiate a truce with KTR (TRS working president KT Rama Rao) who had called on him to offer condolences on the death of his brother-in-law Hari Krishna. Naidu himself has shamelessly accepted that. Naidu then said that he had requested KTR garu to form an alliance with TDP and because they rejected they were compelled to go with Congress. Naidu made these statements in the assembly and even to the media. In fact, it is good thing that two neighbouring states are coming together for a cause – that is special category status. This is a good sign and should be welcomed by all and this man (Naidu) makes statements what suits his purpose.
Why are the other opposition leaders such as Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Farooq Abdullah campaigning against you?
This is unfortunate. They are doing it at the behest of the Congress party. Congress is playing this game behind the scene. They all are constituents of UPA (United Progressive Alliance). One by one, they are coming to Andhra Pradesh and campaigning for Naidu who has a tacit understanding with Congress.
What is your take on the BJP’s nationalism narrative and Congress talks about jobs etc?
Modi has exhibited a strong will in whatever he could do. He has also exhibited strong leadership qualities. Maybe that would fetch him some marks elsewhere in the country. I do not know but as far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned, none of the national parties will score well.
What do you think of the Congress party’s promise of minimum income guarantee scheme? Is it doable?
Rahul Gandhiji’s promise is a sham. He said this scheme is applicable to everybody whose income is less than Rs 12000 per month. The concept is good but the implementation is important. Basically, one should have the heart to do it with all sincerity. That is lacking here. See, he (Congress president Rahul Gandhi) himself said that this constitutes 20% of the population or five crore families which translates to 25 crore people. But the numbers are wrong. I tell you an example of my own state. Out of the total population of 5 crore, we have 4.2 crore people whose income is less than Rs 6000 per month in rural areas. So, the math is that 80% of the total population in this country has an income of less than Rs 12000 per month. So, their (Congress party’s) entire calculation is wrong. So, you want to do good to the people, get your math right.
