YSR Cong resorting to attacks as TDP's popularity is rising: Babu

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday scoffed at the statement made by Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi that he would join the Congress due to rift between Nara and Nandamuri families over his successor as party president.

Condemning the remarks while talking to media persons at his residence in Jubilee Hills, Mr Naidu categorically stated that there was no question of him joining the Congress at any time.

The former chief minister further said that the TDP was only party in the state which stands by the party principles and agenda. The TDP has always stood up to the Congress corruption and inefficiency, he said.

Mr Naidu said that YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy was resorting to attacks as he was unable to digest the growing influence of the TDP in his backyard. The TDP’s popularity was evident by the large number of people attending its campaign meetings, he added.

Mr Naidu added that the people of Kadapa are fed up with Mr Jaganmohan Reddy’s corruption and will reject him in the by-elections.

Turning his attention to the YSR Congress Party president, the former chief minister said that the party has no agenda and lacked principles. He further asked Mr Jaganmohan Reddy to explain to the people how he was able to amass wealth running into lakhs of crores of rupees.

Mr Naidu said that Mr Jaganmohan Reddy would meet the same fate on the lines of former Telecom minister A Raja, former chief minister of Jharkhand Madhu Koda and former Olympic Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi due to his corruption. 

He also criticized the state government for pressing into service Ministers to campaign for the Congress in the by-elections. The former chief minister said that the Congress is competing with Jagan in distribution of money to influence the voters.

Condemning the attack on MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, the Mr Naidu criticized the government for its total failure in the maintenance of law and order in the state.

He added that Congress using rowdies and goondas to settle political scores.