Addressing a public meeting at Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district on Sunday, March 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and the Congress party are the same. He said that the strength of the National Democratic alliance (NDA) is increasing and added that the NDA alliance will win 400 seats in Lok Sabha elections to form the government for the third time.
“Congress and YSRCP are one and the same. It’s a conspiracy led by the same members of the family to split the anti YSRCP vote towards Congress so that NDA does not benefit,” PM Modi said at the meeting. He urged the people to vote for the NDA in the state assembly elections and pledged for the development of Andhra Pradesh.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu stated that NDA will emerge victorious and free the state from this regime of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Meanwhile, JSP chief Pawan Kalyan said that Modi will support Amaravati and that the YSRCP will come down. “Is it not possible for Modi who built Ram Temple to remove Ravana?,” Pawan Kalyan said, referring CM Jagan to Ravan.
Praja Galam is the first public meeting organised by the parties in alliance - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party(JSP) in Andhra Pradesh. “Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan have been fighting for the development of people of Andhra for several years,” Modi said and added that the NDA will move forward by protecting regional aspirations and work for national progress.
“NDA aims to develop Andhra Pradesh for the development of India,” said PM Modi.
He added that Andhra Pradesh has two big goals for this election - one, to help the NDA form the Union Government and two, to get rid of the YSRCP government in the state.
“MLAs are competing with each other to loot the state. In the next five years, the issues of the poor will be addressed. Women will get more opportunities, the blue economy will be expanded, infrastructure will be developed,” Modi said
He attacked Congress INDI bloc alliance and said, “NDA walks together with all its members. Congress party which was forced to form INDI bloc only uses the parties in alliance. The parties in alliance with Congress always fight with each other be it Bengal, Kerala or Punjab. One can guess how they would fight after elections.”
Modi claimed that the NDA government recognised the leaders from different parties who worked for the welfare of people. “Former CM NT Rama Rao (NTR) fought for the rights of the poor and farmers. Congress created troubles for NTR. The party insulted the pride and self respect of Andhra Pradesh. We commemorated the 100 anniversary of NTR by issuing silver coins. Former PM PV Narsimha Rao, was honoured with Bharat Ratna. NDA respects the leaders who strived for people irrespective of party lines,” Modi said.
Polling for 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 assembly seats will happen on May 13 simultaneously. As part of the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance, the BJP will contest from 10 seats, Jana Sena from 21 and TDP from the remaining 144 Assembly seats. As per the seat sharing agreement for Lok Sabha seats, Jana Sena will contest from two seats, BJP from six, and TDP from the remaining 17 constituencies.