Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila said on Saturday that except for ideological differences, she did not have any enmity with her brother and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
“I had supported and worked for the YSR Congress Party’s success in the previous elections. The ruling party has now ignored the people who voted for it. I cannot sit and watch when injustice is being meted to the State by the government,” she said. while addressing the ‘Rajanna Rachabanda’, a public grievance programme, at Narsipatnam in Anakapalli district and a public meeting in Paderu Assembly constituency in Alluri Sitharama Raju district.
During the Rachabanda programme, a number of women, elderly persons, and youth complained about land encroachments, lack of jobs, and failure of the ruling party in allotting houses or plots for them.
She termed the “bonhomie” between the TDP and BJP and the BJP and YSRCP as a “triangular love story.”
“Though the BJP has not won a single MP or MLA seat in Andhra Pradesh, it is still controlling the State. The YSRCP and the TDP are not in a position to question the BJP and raise their voice over the assurances given at the time of bifurcation of the State. These parties do not have any commitment on achieving Special Category Status and Polavaram project. Only the Congress party can deliver them,” she said.
Ms. Sharmila further said that farmers suffered the most due to the apathy of the YSRCP government. She said that most of the irrigation projects had been ignored.
She also criticised the government for failing to create jobs and bring in investments. She further said that a majority of the youth were migrating to other States after completing their PG studies.
When the TDP government had given a notification for filling 7,000 teacher posts, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy criticised it and announced to issue a notification for a Mega DSC after coming to power. “But now, when there is a need for filling around 30,000 posts, the YSRCP government has given notification for 6,100 posts. Is this not cheating the unemployed youth,” she questioned.
Ms. Sharmila also slammed Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy for failing to implement prohibition as promised.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had said he would seek votes in the 2024 elections only after imposing prohibition, she recalled. “But the government is selling cheap liquor at the cost of people’s health,” she observed.
Speaking at the public meeting at Paderu, Ms. Sharmila alleged that the government was interested in mining bauxite rather than taking up developmental activities in the tribal region.
Party leaders N. Raghuveera Reddy and Gidugu Rudra Raju were present.