Nara Lokesh shoots ‘Super 6’ to outwit Jagan’s ‘9 Ratnas’

The task ahead is a huge one. Development in Andhra Pradesh has come to a standstill. Unemployment is rampant. No section is happy with the present government. State has slipped on all fronts. People are suffering and want a change now they want to get rid of the government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, said TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh in an exclusive interview with Vasu Potnuru who joined Lokesh in his walkathon at Elamanchali in Anakapalli district on Friday.

Excerpts from the interview:

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and YSRCP ministers raised the issue of locals and non-locals. The CM termed TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, you and JSP chief Pawan Kalyan as ‘political tourists’. What is your take on it?

The Chief Minister is keen on making Chandrababu Naidu unpopular. The alleged AP skill development case is one of the attempts made by him to prove Naidu as a corrupt leader. As Jagan failed in his earnest attempts, he is now using another ‘trump card’ by bringing non-locals to the fore.

Jagan Mohan Reddy has palaces at Tadepalli, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and now likely in Visakhapatnam. So, the CM can claim to be ‘local’ wherever he moves. Do you think you can claim to be local too? Will it be an issue in the ensuing elections?

Jagan is local not only in AP. He is local in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Tadepalli and now in Vizag also. We don’t want to be that ‘local’. We are locals in the hearts of the people. YSRCP perhaps feels that anyone who does not own a house in AP is non-local. This argument and campaign will have zero impact on the people. People want good governance and overall development of state not whether we have house here or not.

As a part of ‘Yuva Galam’ padayatra, you have covered over 3,000-km across AP and met various sections of people. What is your observation on what people really need? What are the most important aspects that you noticed during the padayatra?

Development in Andhra Pradesh has come to a standstill. Unemployment is rampant. The four-and-a-half-year-long governance of Jagan Mohan Reddy has deprived people of basic infrastructure, including proper roads and drinking water supply. During Naidu’s rule, DWCRA women made strides in their entrepreneurial journey. Currently, women have no security, leave alone empowerment.

What, according to you, are aspirations and expectations of the people from the next government?

On a priority basis, 20 lakh youths should get employment in the state. By facilitating employment, their families would be benefited. Through TDP’s flagship scheme ‘Mahashakti’, as included in our manifesto, women would get several benefits. From getting scholarships to boarding bus free of cost, the scheme aims at empowering women on various aspects. Likewise, our primary focus will also be on improving basic infrastructure in the state once the TDP-JSP combine forms the government.

The Chief Minister has been transferring money directly into the beneficiaries’ accounts by pressing a button. What more and better can you offer to this category of people?

Introducing schemes is not new to any government. The Chief Minister is not required to press the button merely as even a computer operator would do the job. What the state lacks is effective policy making. In future, the TDP-JSP combine would empower people of all sections without any disparity. And our policy is to empower the poor to become rich.

With just about 100 days left for the polls, what will be the impact of the TDP-JSP manifesto which is yet to be released? Will it attract the attention of the voters?

The TDP has drafted a ‘super-six-pointer’ manifesto that highlights the tagline ‘Bhavishyatuki Guarantee’. It caters to all sections of society, including farmers, youth, BCs, etc., Certainly, it will pave the way for an inclusive governance.

What is your opinion on complaints made by the mainstream parties against one another to the Election Commission? Do you think polls will be free and fair?

Fundamentally, people must understand a simple logic. Will the ruling party have a scope to include fake votes or the Opposition? Which has an opportunity to do? We have created a very effective system ‘cluster unit booth’ (CUB). Our party leaders are verifying the voters’ list by taking up a door-to-door campaign as there are many irregularities in it. In some constituencies, such irregularities are more, and they will be looked into.

After serving as panchayat raj, rural development, IT and communications minister during the TDP’s rule coupled with the experience of getting near to thousands of people belonging to various sections through ‘Yuva Galam’, I am confident that TDP-JSP combine would give a people-friendly governance in Andhra Pradesh after 2024 polls. I have seen the pain of people from close quarters. The task is not easy but then if one has determination and vision nothing is impossible.