Cong dividing State for votes, seats: Sharmila

Kurnool: YSR Congress leader YS Sharmila alleged here on Thursday that the Congress was planning to divide the state only to make Rahul Gandhi prime minister. After entering Kurnool district as part of the Samikya Shankharavam bus yatra launched in protest against the division of the state, Sharmila addressing a meeting at Dhone, said that the development of the state has been put on backburner. She recalled that during the regime of Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy not a single rupee was collected from people in the name of taxes. Holding Chandrababu responsible for the Congress decision to divide the state, Sharmila said that both the Congress and TDP have been destroying the state.

Chandrababu should take back the letter he had given in favour of the division of the state, she demanded. Sharmila lambasted Chandrababu for stating that there was link between Italy and Idupulapala and said that Jaganmohan would not remain in the jail, if there was such link. She consoled the shephereds at Potudoddi village where one hundred sheep died after a lorry ran over them. She assured them that she would talk to the collector for compensation.

Later, addressing a mammoth meeting at Kondareddi Burju in Kurnool city in the evening, Sharmila said that the Congress was responsible for the plight of farmers. She said that while Chandrababu had extended pension to 16 lakh people, Rajasekhar Reddy had sanctioned pension to 76 lakh persons. She said that Seemandhra people developed the Hyderabad city for the last 60 years and it was unjust to drive them out of the city now in the name of Telangana.

She flayed the TDP chief for undertaking Atma Gourava yatra at a time the state was in turmoil. Bhuma Nagi Reddy, his wife Sobha, SV Mohan Reddy, Kadapa former mayor Ravindranath Reddy, Gouru Venkat Reddy, MLA Katasani Rami Reddy, Rajendranath Reddy, Kotla Hari Chakrapani, Budda Rajasekhar Reddy and others were present.