YS Jagan Mohan Reddy scared of local polls: TDP

Amaravati: Former finance minister and TDP senior leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Wednesday asserted that the ruling YSRCP and Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy were literally scared of facing the oppressed sections of voters in the forthcoming local body elections.

Ramakrishnudu said that it was only out of sheer fear of defeat and rejection by all the harassed weaker sections that the ruling party was afraid of and unwilling to face the local polls in February. While the Central government and the other state governments were freely holding different elections, the AP government was trying to avoid the democratic process on unacceptable pretexts.

In a statement here, Ramakrishnudu reiterated that the ruling party's fears were not without basis as all the targeted sections of Andhra Pradesh were unifying with a common goal of giving a rude shock to the Jagan regime. The voters were waiting to teach a bitter lesson to the YSRCP at the earliest opportunity.

The Opposition Leader in Legislative Council said that the Muslim minorities, SCs, STs and BCs were deeply unhappy with the atrocious and arrogant policies of the Chief Minister. The ruling party was afraid of certain defeat if the elections were to be held in an impartial, free and fair manner. Its leaders were scheming to use the AP police machinery to once again intimidate the voters and the rival parties to hijack the polls, he alleged.

Ramakrishnudu asserted that the YSRCP was also scared that it would meet with a crushing defeat in all regions of the state if the elections were to be held under security provided by the Central forces. The village and ward volunteers were acting like the YSRCP agents and they were threatening to stop pensions to the poor families if they did not listen to their words.

Stating that a vicious 'YSRCP volunteers raj' was oppressing the people, the former minister said that what was required was a 'Grama Swaraj' for the greater good of the people. All the forcible unanimous elections in the past should be cancelled. The chief secretary should not interfere when the local polls are in the middle of the process, he said.