Opposition has no case' against Jagan Reddy: Dharmanna

Visakhapatnam: Revenue minister Dharmana Prasada Rao said the Opposition has no tangible case against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. “Migrant” leaders like Pawan Kalyan and Chandrababu Naidu are no threat to the Chief Minister, he said.

Addressing a public meeting in the Gajuwaka area here on Monday as part of the Samajika Sadhikara Yatra on its ninth day, the minister said it was without any solid reason that they criticised the selection of Visakhapatnam as the capital.

Rather, choosing Amaravati as the capital would lead to further regional disparities, he said.

In a blistering attack on the Opposition, the minister called Naidu and others ‘migrant leaders’ who migrated from Hyderabad to AP only to grab power here. “Those who are opposing Visakhapatnam as the capital are stalling the state’s development. These are the people who come to Andhra Pradesh only during the elections.”

Minister Seediri Appalaraju said that there were doubts about whether the backward classes received due political and social recognition during the rule of Chandrababu Naidu. “BCs, SCs, and STs often hesitated to even hold meetings when Naidu was in power,” she said.

“It wasn't until CM Jagan Mohan Reddy's arrival as CM in 2019 that they mustered the courage to hold meetings. We should ask Chandrababu why BC, SC, and ST leaders were marginalised during his term,” the minister said.

 Attacking Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, the minister said the  selection of YSRC candidate Nagireddy over Pawan Kalyan in 2019 from Gajuwaka reflected the public's lack of confidence in the 'package star.'

Joining the tirade against the Opposition, Bapatla MP Nandigama Suresh said, “Pawan Kalyan's shifting alliances and intentions have raised several questions. He is with some party for some days and then he joins someone else. He cannot be trusted.”

Gajuwaka MLA Tippala Nagireddy lauded Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for his resolution of long-pending issues of the Gajuwaka house committee. He also called for continued support to the Chief Minister.

The huge gathering reaffirmed support for Jagan Mohan Reddy. Mayor Hari Venkata Kumari lauded the CM's commitment to social empowerment and welfare. She emphasised the importance of his leadership in developing schools and providing opportunities for students to represent the state at national and international events.

Senior leaders, including Y.V. Subba Reddy and Gudiwada Amarnath, inaugurated Gajuwaka’s newly constructed Urban Primary Healthcare Centre at Mindi, near Gajuwaka.