God will punish if you are corrupt, says Jagan Mohan Reddy

Vijayawada: In his first official remarks to his party, YSRC president and AP Chief Minister-designate Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy struck a spiritual note and said his predecessor N. Chandrababu Naidu was the best example of God “punishing” the corrupt.

“God punishes those who err in His own way. Chandrababu Naidu had bought 23 legislators from our party and it is the same figure of 23 MLAs that TD has won now. As coincidence would have it, the results were announced on 23 (May),” he said.

Stretching the “poetic justice” theme further, Mr Reddy said, “Mr Naidu took 3 MPs from our party and now he is left with the same figure in this election.”

He called it “the great script of the God,” while addressing newly elected MLAs of the party who had gathered for the Legislature Party meeting at his house in Tadepalli.

Mr Reddy continued, “God will punish if we do corruption and anomalies and Chandrababu is the best example of this.”

Mr Reddy was elected leader of the legislature party and later staked claim to form government with Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan. Upon his invitation, Mr Reddy will take oath as Chief Minister at Vijayawada on May 30.

The swearing-in ceremony was initially planned to be held at Tirupati, but it was later changed to Chinna Avutupalli and finally to the IGMC stadium at Vijayawada. Mr Reddy will take oath at 12.23 am.

Mr Reddy told the legislators that the YSRC stood in support of the public for the past five years and asked cadres to serve the people to get better results in the elections in 2024. He said the stupendous victory had further increased their responsibility and they have to honour the mandate by living up to the people’s expectations.

“Winning 151 of the 175 Assembly seats and 23 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats and securing over 50 per cent of the votes is an unprecedented chapter in the polity of the AP state which has to be written in golden letters,” he said. He recalled that in 2014, the party had missed the bus by about 5 lakh votes.

He stated that the decisive mandate showed the level of confidence the people had in the YSRC. “In six months we should show results and get the feedback of good governance.”

Mr Reddy said, “I promise to cleanse the political system to the pave way for politics of credibility and accountability and everyone of you should be part of this process... Our aims and style of functioning should compel the entire nation look towards us as we will shape AP as a model state.”

Mr Reddy said that in the last five years, “We have seen and braved the unruly and undemocratic methods employed by TD government. We were with the people all the time and always raising people’s issues on various forums.

He said that the turmoil the party workers, leaders and people had undergone during the TD government, the plight and suffering they had spoken of during the 3,648-km Praja Sankalpa Yatra was reflected in the YSRC’s victory.