Parties gear up for local battle

Amaravati: All parties, including ruling YSRCP and opposition TDP, are busy making preparations for elections to local bodies. The elections for Panchayats, MPTC, ZPTC, Municipalities and Municipal Corporations are expected to be conducted between November and January, according to highly-placed sources in both the government as well in the YSRCP.

The State Election Commission is also preparing the electoral rolls to conduct elections. The High Court also directed the State government to inform the court when it would conduct the elections. In fact, the elections to the local bodies should have been held before the general elections, but postponed.

The YSRCP is pinning its hopes on newly introduced welfare schemes like Amma Vodi, Rythu Bharosa, hike in pensions, direct cash benefits to auto-rickshaws and cab drivers and others for winning the elections.

It also has hopes on various laws enacted in the first Assembly session itself, like 50 per cent reservations for women, Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Minorities in nominated posts and nominated works, 75 per cent reservation to the locals in private sector, tenant farmers rights and others.

On the other hand, the opposition parties have expressed the feeling that the failures of the state government such as providing sand to the public, delay in introducing the policy which led to deprivation of sand for months together, termination of all previous contracts, withdrawal of financial assistance by the World Bank and other funding agencies for Amaravati project and others would benefit the opposition parties in the elections.

Speaking with this correspondent, YSRCP senior leader and Government Chief Whip Gadikota Srikanth Reddy said the party is ready for the elections and the cadre has been waiting with enthusiasm to participate actively in the elections with the spirit of the recent victory.

He further said that the YSRCP will surely get more than 65 per cent vote share this time. It got 50 percent vote share in the general elections for both Parliament and Assembly which were held May this year.

He said the people have been keenly observing the activities of the State government under the leadership of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. The Amma Vodi and Rythu Bharosa, distribution of fine quality rice and others will have a positive impact on the lives of the common man.

He said the YSRCP government has implemented about 80 per cent of its poll promises. No other Chief Minister did like what Jagan did in just three months after coming to power, he said and hoped that the YSRCP will bag majority of the local bodies.

The TDP is ready to contest whenever the elections are held, said \ party MLC Y V B Rajendra Prasad. He said "the people have been opposing the State government as it failed to take even a single decision which directly impacted the lives of the poor in a positive manner.

For instance, the failure of government is visible in the sand policy, which forced lakhs of families in the State on to the streets. The YSRCP cancelled the Anna canteens, which were serving food to the poor. Jagan stopped construction of the Amaravati, Polavaram and other projects. All the development activities came to standstill in the State within three months."

While reacting on it, the BJP State president Kanna Lakshminarayana said though it is a short span of time for the party to strengthen in the State, considerable improvement is visible. He observed that the public perception of the party has changed a lot when compared with that of public opinion before general elections.

He added after Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed government for second term and scrapped the Article 370, several leaders have joined the party. At the same time. he said the anti-incumbency sentiment against the State government is very high and the YSRCP is the only party to experience such bitterness in the history within first three months. He said the BJP has constituted a three-member committee for local body elections and will contest across the state.