No early polls, says Jagan

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has cleared the air on the speculations that Andhra Pradesh would go for early polls. He said elections would be held as per schedule.

Assembly and LS polls are due in AP along with the general elections in the country before the middle of 2024.

The Chief Minister made the declaration at the AP Cabinet meeting at the state Secretariat on Wednesday.

He said, “Elections will be held according to schedule. There will be no early polls. Ministers must make good use of the nine months’ time before the polls to strengthen YSR Congress in the 26 districts.”

Political issues were also discussed by the CM and the ministers at the Cabinet meeting.

Notably, Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu has been cautioning his Telugu Desam’s rank and file about the possibility of early polls in AP, for the past three and half years, and he recently raised the tempo of this campaign.

Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “This period is very crucial. There are still nine months left for the election notification. If we work hard, we will win again. Ministers should work more proactively during these nine months. We should move ahead in coordination with MLAs. Ministers and MLAs should go and explain the good things done by the government to the people. Ministers should constantly interact with the people at the field level. I will take care of the rest.”

“The time has come for us to prepare for the elections and the development works by the government across the state needs to be explained to the people,” he said.

The Cabinet meeting observed a minute’s silence in memory of the train mishap victims in Odisha. It sanctioned 6,840 new posts in various departments including the filling up of 3,920 vacancies in the police battalion, 116 posts in the RIMS, Kadapa, 11 posts in the government hospital for mental care at Visakhapatnam, 23 posts for upgrading the Sitanagaram PHC in Rajanagaram Assembly constituency, 41 medical specialists posts for the kidney research centrr at Palasa, 476 nightwatch men posts in government junior colleges, 65 posts in the  fisheries university at Narsapuram and 75 posts for the fisheries science college.

The Cabinet meeting has also approved the government’s decision to abolish Vidya Vidhan Parishath and treat its 14, 653 employees as government employees. They would be shifted to the Directorate of Secondary Health.

It also sanctioned 2,118 posts for the new medical colleges.

The Cabinet meeting also gave its nod to appoint regular employees in BC residential junior colleges, create supernumerary posts in cooperative societies and upgrade the deputy EE posts in agricultural marketing department as EE.

The Cabinet has also decided to establish two junior colleges in every mandal, one for girls and the second to cater to co-educational needs.

With the aim of improving English communication skills of the students, the Cabinet has decided to impart training to students of Classes 3 to 9 and hold 3 preparatory examinations to help them face TOEFL.

If necessary, teachers would be sent to the USA for special training.