Jagan says Pawan Kalyan splitting Kapu vote to help Telugu Desam

KAKINADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday accused Jana Sena chief and film star Pawan Kalyan of trying to split Kapu vote to benefit Telugu Desam led by N. Chandrababu Naidu.

“The ‘Dushta Chatustayam (evil quartet)’ including ‘Datta Putrudu (adopted son)’ had taken to DPT ‘Dachuko (rob)’, ‘Panchuko (share)’ and ‘Tinuko (eat)’”. But YSRC government has adopted DBT (direct benefit transfer) to credit amounts directly into accounts of beneficiaries in a transparent manner without any corruption,” Jagan Mohan Reddy declared while releasing ₹508 crore as third tranche of Kapu Nestham into accounts of 3,30,792 women belonging to Kapu community at a meeting in Gollaprolu of Pithapuram assembly constituency in Kakinada district.

While Jagan did not directly name Pawan Kalyan, he referred to him as Datta Putrudu (adopted son) who is one of the evil quartet (Dushta Chatustayam). He asked Kapu sisters to be wary of Pawan Kalyan, who is attempting to split Kapu community votes and sell them to opposition Telugu Desam. The CM asked women to compare implementation of welfare schemes during the previous government with the present government.

“During Chandrababu’s tenure, benefits did not reach the ground. Funds used to disappear somewhere in between, making people wonder where they have gone. The funds got distributed under DPT system,” he remarked.

Jagan Mohan Reddy pointed out that while Chandrababu Naidu promised to allocate ₹1,000 crore per annum totalling to ₹5,000 crore for five years for welfare of Kapu community, the former CM spent only ₹1,500 crore. “Whereas my government, through DBT, has extended ₹16,000 crore to Kapu sisters during past three years and another ₹16,000 crore through non-DBT schemes. We have already benefitted Kapu families to the extent of ₹32,000 crore during past three years,” the Chief Minister underlined.

He accused Chandrababu Naidu of wanting to abolish all welfare schemes of YSRC government. This is the reason why Naidu and his team are campaigning that Andhra Pradesh will face a Sri Lanka-type economic crisis.

Jagan Mohan Reddy urged people to debate whether or not Chandrababu Naidu had betrayed them during his regime and the way YSRC government is reaching schemes to doorsteps of the poor.

On request of Pithapuram MLA Pendem Dorababu, the Chief Minister promised to sanction ₹280 crore for modernisation of Yeleru Reservoir and also ₹20 crore each for development of Pithapuram municipality and Gollaprolu nagara panchayat.

Ministers Botsa Satyanarayana, S. Appala Raju, P. Vishwaroop, Ch. Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna, G. Amaranath, Kottu Satyanarayana, P. Vasubabu, Jakkampudi Raja, G. Srinivasa Naidu and S. Suryanarayana Reddy, MPs Vanga Gita, M. Bharat and Ch. Anuradha, and MLC Thota Trimurthulu were among those present at the meeting.