Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President Chandrababu Naidu on Monday announced Panabaka Lakshmi as the party candidate for the upcoming bye-election to Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati (reserved) Parliamentary constituency. The former Congress leader, Panabaka Lakshmi, has also served as Former Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Union Minister of State for Textile and she had shifted her loyalties to TDP in the run upto 2019 elections.
Announcing the candidate in a video conference with party leaders from Tirupati, TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu called on all to strive hard for a TDP victory. The Tirupati is an SC-reserved parliamentary seat that fell vacant after sitting YSRCP member Balli Durga Prasad Rao succumbed to COVID-19 in the month of September.
"The unchecked corruption of the YSRCP should be exposed before the public while explaining the development brought during the previous regime," Naidu told the party leaders.
Commenting on the Amaravati row, he said the ruling YSRCP "killing" the capital city has led to the denial of job opportunities to the youth.
"Farmers' hopes were destroyed with the stalling of Polavaram project works. Industrialists were chased away from the state by threatening them for commissions and shares. The CM was not talking about the special category status at all," he alleged.
"Over 185 industries were brought to the state only under the TDP regime. In the last one and half years, YSRCP could not bring a single industry or company," he claimed.
Stating that the land given to Amara Raja Infratech was taken back by the government, the former Chief Minister said: "No industrialist would dare enter Andhra Pradesh after seeing the vindictive politics of the ruling party."
Meanwhile, the other opposition party, BJP is keen on winning the Tirupati bye-election. Recently, Andhra BJP president Somu Veerraju expressed "confidence" in bagging the seat in the backdrop of its winning in Telangana's Dubbaka assembly bye-election.
YSRCP might announce its candidate soon as well. BJP might be roping in its ally, actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan to campaign for them.
(With IANS inpusts)