VIJAYAWADA: Government adviser Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Thursday asked Telugu Desam and Jana Sena to clarify who will be their nominee for the chief minister’s post in the forthcoming assembly general elections – TD’s N. Chandrababu Naidu or Nara Lokesh, or JS chief Pawan Kalyan.
Speaking to media at YSR Congress Party’s central office, he said the two opposition parties must decide on this aspect before trying to pull down the present government.
Ramakrishna Reddy further asked in case TD-JS alliance forms the government, whether Jana Sena and Telugu Desam governments will rule Andhra Pradesh for two and a half years each. In addition, he wondered whether Lokesh will make his father the CM again or he himself will be the chief minister. Or, if Pawan Kalyan becomes the CM, whether Chandrababu Naidu will support him.
The government adviser felt whatever bad publicity Telugu Desam and Jana Sena are trying to generate with regard to funds for SC and ST welfare, it will have no effect on people, as they are already receiving amounts related to their welfare schemes directly into their banks accounts.
He explained that during the entire tenure of Chandrababu, ₹33,000 crore had been spent on welfare of SCs. But the Jagan government has already spent ₹78,000 crores on SC welfare during the past three and a half years by way of DBT and non-DBT schemes. He claimed that Naidu government had used funds meant for SCs to also run Anna canteens, give Chandranna Kanuka and pay social security pensions.
Ramakrishna Reddy maintained that there is no sense in TD’s criticism that the state government is putting hurdles when Lokesh is trying to take out his padayatra. He pointed out that in 2017, TD government had given permission for Jagan's padayatra with conditions and restrictions, which had been followed by Jagan. “Now, the same rules and regulations are being applied to Lokesh’s padayatra,” he stated.
The senior YSRC leader observed that whatever conspiracies TD and JS may hatch, YSRC will once again win the assembly general elections in 2024 and Jagan will continue as the CM.
