Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has blown the conch for the 2024 general elections, terming the Assembly polls as a war between Good and Evil while also predicting that this would be the “last elections” for Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu.
The Chief Minister declared that his government would do more good to the BCs over and above what it did since 2019. He asked party leaders and cadres to visit every house under the Gadapa Gadapaku mass contact programme.
The programme was already running with the party legislators put in the forefront to propagate the YSRC government’s welfare and development initiatives for the weaker sections and expose the “conspiracies of the demons.”
Reaffirming their commitment to social justice, the Chief Minister said Naidu had betrayed the weaker sections for long and the next Assembly elections would be the TD's Waterloo.
Addressing the mammoth 'Jai Ho BC Maha Sabha,' attended by over one lakh people at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here, the Chief Minister gave a clarion call to the party cadre to get into election mode and move from door to door to explain to the people the welfare activities being implemented by the YSRC government.
They have also been asked to draw a contrast between the present and previous governments.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said from initiatives like the three capitals to housing for the poor, Naidu and his band of ‘feudals’ have been trying to stall them all through litigations and false propaganda. The TD chief, he said, has no guts to say his party would contest the next Assembly elections alone. “Chandrababu is trying to cheat the BCs to hide his failures in implementing the assurances he gave to them,” the Chief Minister said.
He said, “We have set up a permanent BC Commission for the first time in the country. Chandrababu deceived the BCs by not fulfilling the promises he made to them. We empowered the BCs, SCs, STs and Minorities socially, economically and politically in tune with the BC Declaration made at Eluru in 2019.”
The BC's should teach a lesson to Naidu in the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
Highlighting the initiatives taken by the YSRC for the welfare of BCs, Jagan Mohan Reddy said the BCs are no more backward classes but the “backbone classes.”
“Priority was given to poor social groups in the implementation of welfare schemes. Rs 3.19 lakh crore was spent to empower them financially. Of the total, 80 per cent of the money was spent on the weaker sections.”
During Naidu's tenure, in 2018-19, the rate of increase in state debt was 19 per cent. The annual budgets of 2018-19 and 2022-23 were almost similar. Now, the rate of increase in debt was only 15 per cent. People should think why there were no schemes during Chandrababu's five-year-rule. Naidu's policy is plunder, stash and devour.”
The CM said, “The YSRC has introduced 50 per cent reservation in nominated posts and works. The government is supporting the BCs through Amma Vodi and YSR Cheyutha schemes, while the Jagananna Chedodu scheme is being implemented to support small traders. Around Rs 14,110 crore was given to the beneficiaries under Cheyuta scheme. In Tirumala, a traditional job of opening the temple doors was handed over to Sannidhi Gollas.”
“Chandrababu has not nominated a BC leader to the Rajya Sabha. But, the YSRC government has given priority to the SC, ST, BC and minorities in every step it took. Out of the eight Rajya Sabha nominees, more than half of these went to the BCs. Four of the five deputy CMs are from the BC, SC, ST and minority segments. Out of the 32 MLCs, 18 are from among the BC, SC, ST, Minority segments. Assembly speaker Tammineni Sitaram and legislative council chairman Moshen Raju are from the weaker sections. BC's are the largest segment among the YSRC's 32-members in the legislative council," the CM said.
He said, "Around 67 per cent of the Mandal Parishad posts went to the SCs, STs, BCs and Minorities. In the second phase of Cabinet expansion, it was ensured that 70 per cent of the ministers belonged to the SC, ST, BC and minorities."
"Similar is the case with the 117 marketing committee chairmen posts. Out of 84 municipal chairpersons, 44 are from among the SC, ST, BC and Minority segments. Out of the 137 corporation chairpersons, 79 are from the SC, ST, BC and Minority segments. Some 76 out of the 196 agriculture marketing committee chairmen posts are with the BCs,” he added.
