Sharmila attacks Jagan govt on development

Newly appointed Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president YS Sharmila on Tuesday challenged the ruling YSR Congress Party leaders to show one development project taken up by her brother and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in the last five years.

Kick-starting her nine-day tour of the state from Ichchapuram in Srikakulam district, Sharmila reacted strongly to the criticism levelled by her uncle and YSRCP in-charge of north Andhra districts YV Subba Reddy that she had migrated from the neighbouring Telangana and had no knowledge of the developmental works taken up during the Jagan regime.

“Show me one project taken up by the Jagan government that reflected the development in the state. Fix a date, time and place. I am ready to come with you along with media representatives, intellectuals and other opposition parties. Let me also see what kind of development Jagan has done,” Sharmila said.

She asked the YSRCP leaders as to what had happened to Polavaram and where the capital city had come up. “Where are the infrastructure projects that the Jagan government has taken up in the last five years?” she asked.

Sharmila said all the welfare schemes like Arogya Sri and free power supply to agriculture sector were designed and implemented by her father and former chief minister late YS Rajasekhar Reddy (YSR). “In 2003, YSR ended up his marathon padayatra at Ichchapuram. During his walkathon, he had personally experienced the plight of the poor people. I have come here again to stand by the poor for whom my father had strived all through his life,” she said.

She said being the daughter of YSR, she was seeking the blessings of the people to revive the welfare state envisaged by her father. “There has been a conspiracy to separate YSR from the Congress. He had implemented all the welfare schemes on behalf of the Congress. He was a pillar of strength for the Congress and in turn, the party was his strength,” Sharmila said.

The PCC chief refuted the allegation that the Congress had insulted YSR by including his name in the CBI case against Jagan. “Sonia Gandhi clearly told me that it was done inadvertently. For that matter, even Rajiv Gandhi’s name was also included in the FIR in one of the cases after his death. Even today, the Congress high command still has a lot of respect towards YSR and Sonia Gandhi said the party would never forget the contribution made by him,” she said.

Stating that YSR had strongly opposed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) all through his life, Sharmila said it was unfortunate that the Jagan government had become a puppet in the hands of the BJP, though it does not have a single MLA in AP.

“Not even once did Jagan put forth a strong demand for granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh. But Rahul Gandhi made a categorical assurance that the Congress, if voted to power, would grant the special category status to AP on the first day itself,” she asserted.

Meanwhile, chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy made a veiled attack on his sister, while addressing a rally at Uravakonda in Anantapur district, after depositing ₹6,394 crore into the accounts of self-help group women towards fourth tranche of YSR Aasara scheme.

Without naming her, he said that some star campaigners from the neighbouring state landed in Andhra Pradesh to help Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu.

“There is a batch of star campaigners, belonging to other parties, trying to prop up Naidu. They stay in the neighbouring state and come to AP to blow the trumpet for the TDP. Now, one more person who took over the reins of the party that divided united Andhra Pradesh has joined this bandwagon to benefit Chandrababu Naidu,” Jagan said.