Visakhapatnam: Pawan Kalyan sure of Opposition alliance

Visakhapatnam : It is now clear that the next Assembly elections will witness more or less a two-cornered contest. It will be YSRCP v/s alliance of Opposition parties.

In a media interaction on Friday, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan reiterated that he stands by his word that he will not allow the Opposition votes to be split. He said an alliance was a certainty but what kind of alliance it would be will be known after some time. He said talks were on with the TDP on this front. It could be Jana Sena-TDP alliance or Jana Sena-TDP-BJP alliance. He said the one-point agenda of Jana Sena is to ensure that the YSRCP goes out of power and hence it was working in that direction.

Replying to a question, Pawan said that in the past he had questioned the TDP when he felt that it was deviating from its promises. After seeing the functioning of the YSRCP for nearly five years, he felt that the TDP was far better than the government led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. He said the ruling party had ruined the economy of the state and had been indulging in land grabbing and did not even spare the heritage site of Erra Dibbalu in Visakhapatnam.

Pawan said in the past he was not ready to become the chief minister but now if the people want him he was ready for it. But his fight was not for any post. Jana Sena was ready to be part of any government to see that all wrongdoers were brought to book and the past glory of the state was restored in terms of economy, development and welfare of the people. This decision of his, however, will not stop him from questioning any party, including the BJP, if he feels that their policies were not people friendly.

Lashing at the YSRCP, he said despite having over 20 MPs and extending unconditional support to the BJP, the YSRCP government did not have the courage to talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Ministers about the allocation of captive mines for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

He lamented that under the present regime, there was no employment for the youth, the ruling party leaders demand commission at every stage if someone wants to become an entrepreneur. ‘Collecting bribes has become a 'Parampara' for the YSRCP,” he said.

Pawan said the Chief Minister was not governing the state but using it as business for personal gains. Pawan added that the system has been criminalised. The taxes here were highest in the country. Green tax, garbage tax is unique to AP. Despite all such taxes the coffers are empty and no one is willing to honour even government bonds.