“After the demise of YSR, who has launched several welfare schemes that has touched every section of the society, the political system has degenerated badly and the leadership is always on the lookout for personal gains and looks up at things in terms of votes and seats ignoring the welfare of the people,” he said while addressing a public gathering here on Sunday after unveiling the YSR statue.

Sonia Gandhi has been determined to divide the state to seen her son Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister and she is getting unbridled support from Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu. They have the audacity to divide the state though 70 % of the population is against the division.

The assembly, which is in session, is not discussing the people’s problems like hike in cooking gas, power charges and the scarcity of water and other resources which are affecting the multitude of people on a day-to-day basis but are neck deep in discussing as to how the state should be divided.

They are not bothered whether or not farmer gets water for his crops or there would be acute shortage of drinking water from Kuppam to Srikakulam and it is not their concern whether students will be deprived of the chance to get a job in Hyderabad but what they need is a few seats and are marching ahead to split the state.

“We shall wage a united battle, win majority seats and elect a Prime Minister who will stand for an untied state and bring in clean politics into the system changing the old order that is turning murkier and murkier with every passing day,” he said.

People with integrity and vision who care for the welfare of poor and downtrodden should take over the political system and the raw opportunism should be rejected outright. This will bring in transparency, credibility and honesty into politics which is need of the hour.

Four years after the death of YSR, he is still remembered by a vast majority of the population as his welfare schemes have reached every section of the society. During his Padayatra, he came to know about the plight of the people and as a doctor he knew their pulse and after he became chief minister he has taken measures that had benefitted the people by introducing a slew of welfare schemes including fees reimbursement scheme to enable at least one member from each family to get technical education.

He has introduced Aarogyasri to prevent families from being pushed into indebtedness due to serious ailments and increased the pensions besides other schemes. His dream of running a welfare state was fulfilled to a large extent but after his demise the clock of development was put back by six years and the lack of concern towards the plight of people is being clearly visible.

He was a visionary who could think beyond political, caste, creed and regional affiliations. The true meaning of politics has lost its way and people with ulterior motives have come to the fore with Congress and TDP working in tandem. “This system should change and we have to vote for clean politics to bring back the golden era of YSR,” he said. INN

Addressing a large gathering here on Tuesday during his Samaikya Sankharavam meeting, he said Sonia Gandhi has been dividing the state to make her son Prime Minister while Kiran Kumar Reddy, who represents the local constituency, has been obedient and subservient to her and N Chandrababu Naidu has been helping Congress in the division process.

The two leaders are playing truant while the Assembly is in progress. TDP leader has been double crossing by asking his MLAs to raise slogans as per their regional affiliations and he has never said the word Samaikyandhra and he has given a letter in favour of the division of the state.

The entire nation is well versed with the injustice being done to Andhra Pradesh but the two sons of the soil, Kiran Kumar Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu are pretended deaf and blind as they have other priorities.

For any state the division process begins with the assembly resolution that will be sent to the Centre which will prepare a draft Bill and send it to the President who in turn will return it to the assembly for further discussions.

“The process is not followed in case of Andhra Pradesh. The state division decision was first taken and then the Bill was sent to the Assembly for discussion. This is the arrogance of Delhi which our Telugu pride should fight against and emerge victorious by winning 30 MP seats and decide the Prime Minister candidate who will express solidarity with our cause,’ he said.

Farmers and students will he victims if the state is divided as the youth after completing education will be deprived of the chance to go to Hyderabad for job if the division takes place and farmers will not get water if the Krishna waters are to be shared by a fourth state.

With more than 50 % of the revenue coming from Hyderabad, there will be no money to pay salaries to the other region as well. If seaports and capital city are divided the development will take a back seat and the two new states will be relegated to lower grading, he said.

Training his guns on Chandrababu Naidu, he said, “the TDP leader has been promising moon during his recent meetings. He is speaking in terms of loan waivers, free power and loans to women groups.

His past will tell his attitude as he was the one who has diluted all the schemes and failed to keep up the poll promises. He did not implement prohibition after elections on the grounds that the state will lose revenue and has encouraged belt shops.

He has collected higher percentage of interest from women groups and it was YSR who has reduced it drastically and introduced pavala vaddi scheme.

“More than anything else Naidu lacks credibility. No one will believe him has he has gone back on all the promises he made. He has antagonized the farming community by imposing higher tariff for power, brought in GOs to arrest defaulters which led to the suicide of farmers.

On the other hand, people have faith in YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as he carries the lineage of YSR who is known for keeping up promises and has shown to the people what a welfare state actually means, “he said.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is currently touring Pileru constituency represented by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in the assembly. INN

Addressing a huge gathering as part of the Samaikya Sankharavam here on Monday, he said: “The present day leadership has misplaced priorities and has neither the will nor a way to keep the State united. While Sonia Gandhi wants to divide the State to see her son as Prime Minister, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is following the Delhi instructions in letter and spirit and Chandrababu Naidu has been on a save Congress mission.

Lack of a strong leader is very much pronounced in the contemporary scenario as the present leadership looking only for short term personal and political gains without showing concern to the farmers, students, weavers and other sections of people which has resulted in the undemocratic division of the state.

We will wage a united battle in the elections, due in a couple of months, and shall win 30 Lok Sabha seats. We shall select the candidate who agrees to keep the State united as Prime Minister,” he said adding that this is a fight between Delhi arrogance and Telugu self pride. Though YSR is dead and gone by more than four years, he is still alive in the hearts of the people as he has cared for the poor and needy and launched welfare schemes that had benefitted multitude of people. The present day leadership lacks vision.

While YSR had looked beyond political affiliations, regional barriers, caste and creed the new crop of leaders are caught in the whirl of short term gains and manipulative politics. Their concern is not about how to ring in welfare schemes for the people but they are bothered more about whom to send to jail and how to gain seats in the elections. The weavers were given a good package by YSR but after him the Government has been indifferent to their plight, he said.
The irrational division is being directed by Sonia Gandhi from Delhi with Chief Minister is dancing to her tunes and the Leader of Opposition instead of questioning her has joined hands with her and has been seeking packages.

If the unilateral division takes place, the three-some should answer as to where should the students go for jobs if Hyderabad is taken away and the farmers should ask as to where from they will get water if another state is brought in between as the Krishna waters are touching the united state only after the needs of Maharashtra and Karnataka are fulfilled. There will be no drinking water from the southern tip of Kuppam to the northern corner of Srikakulam.

Of the existing 28 states Andhra Pradesh stands 3 in terms of budget and if divided the two states will slide to 9th and 17th places and will be weak, he said. The Assembly session has been a spectacle with Chandrababu Naidu allowing his members to shout slogans from both sides of the fence which is a shameful act, he said.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is on 9th day of his staggered Samaikya Sankharavam Yatra which is concurrently running with the unfinished Odarpu Yatra in Chittoor district and is now touring the Madanapalli and Pileru assembly constituencies. INN

The YSRCP President who visited the accident site at Kothacheruvu near here, told reporters that this is the third accident in a space of 16 months where compartments caught fire and the Government has failed to rectify the errors nor tell the reasons for the mishap or the steps initiated to instill confidence among the passengers.

“This is the third train accident, first being on May 21, 2012 at Penukonda and the second being near Nellore on July 30 and this is the third one in close frequency. The government has failed totally in handling the safety measures which is why there is a recurrence of mishaps of the same nature.

Every time an accident takes place, the Government sets up an Inquiry Commission and the Report, technical or otherwise, is not kept in public domain nor does the Railway Ministry speak out as to what were the reasons for the accident and the steps that were initiated to plug the loopholes.

It just washes its hands off by constituting a commission and announcing ex-gratia but has no concern about the passengers and takes no measures to boost their confidence. We demand that the Centre should own up the responsibility for the accident and tell the reasons for the mishap and also show to the nation that they have taken corrective measures,” he said.

Three train accidents taking place in the region within 16 months and the Government shows no concern and do not take corrective measures speak of its indifference. The Railway ministry is using old and condemned compartments and playing with the lives of the passengers.

Very recently fire mishaps occurred in four Volvo buses causing the death of many. Neither the State Government nor the Centre has taken any action despite loss of human life and safety measures are thrown to winds.

“What is needed is the Government must give confidence to the passengers. It is not the knee jerk reaction of announcing ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh, admitting the injured to hospitals and setting up of commissions. It is not the amount for ex-gratia be it Rs 5 lakhs or Rs 15 lakhs it is safety measures that need to be implemented that matters,” he said.

The functioning of the Railway Ministry should change and it should be accountable to the people. The technical and maintenance reports should be kept in public domain and safety measures should be followed with precision.

“We demand that the Government should own the responsibility for the accident and must be transparent on what it is doing with the technical reports submitted after every accident,” he said.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has rushed to the accident spot from the Samaikya Sankharavam Yatra he has resumed yesterday in Chittoor district. Three of the deceased and some of injured belong to the State. INN

“I appeal to all MLAs to listen to their conscience and sign the affidavit seeking a united state and submit it to the President who has come to town and make the best use of his presence in the city. Our Party is committed for the cause of Samaikyandhra and I will fight the battle till the last minute,” he told reporters here on Thursday.

The affidavits given to the President will act like a deterrent to the undemocratic division of the State and it will serve the intended purpose whether or not the Assembly takes up voting on the draft Bill. The Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition have shown what they are up to and it is for the MLAs to hear to their heart and sign the affidavits to keep the State united.

“You should raise above party affiliations as this is the moment to show your commitment for the cause of the united state, whether N Chandrababu Naidu has one foot in each region and keeps his mouth shut or the bravado of Kiran Kumar Reddy is exposed by the way he has cleared the Bill in 17 hours and send it to Assembly, I appeal to all the MLAs with folded hands to join the fight and sign the affidavit seeking a united state and we shall submit them to the President who will be staying in city for his winter recess,” he said.

The political system has decayed very badly and the Parliament and Assembly have been adjourned sine die without taking up the issues that concern the people.

In Parliament we have raised the issue on every day and could shift the nation’s attention to Andhra Pradesh and the injustice being done by dividing the state without an Assembly resolution. We have moved adjournment motion and no confidence motion and even political parties of other states like Samajwadi Party (SP) and Shiv Sena (SS) also have moved adjournment motions on the undemocratic division of the State of Andhra Pradesh.

Irony is that the floor leader of TDP and his associate do not support the cause. Two out of the four MPs of TDP have a different view point and Chandrababu Naidu has been maintaining this dichotomy since long in parliament and assembly as well, he said.

“When we went to the well of the House to show the nation the injustice being done to our State, some Congress and four TDP MPs joined us and the TDP floor leader Nama Nageswara Rao has passed snide remarks at us.

We gave the no-confidence motion against the UPA supported the six Congress MPs who gave no trust motion against their own government. We wanted to highlight the magnitude of ire against the UPA and open heartedly supported the motion, while two TDP MPs detached themselves from the bunch which has send wrong signals. This is very sad,” he said.

The conduct of Kiran Kumar Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu in the assembly is also questionable. Despite two BAC meetings and so much of ruckus, the TDP leader does not enter the Assembly hall but confines himself to his chamber while his party members raise placards with contrasting demands. His brief presence in the House is like a flash only record that the discussion has begun but has no other purpose served.

Kiran Kumar Reddy on the other hand has helped the Centre in clearing the Bill and sending it to the Speaker with amazing speed. Neither the Chief Minister nor the Speaker nor the Leader of Opposition came to the House when the Bill is presented.

With the two leaders holding such questionable credentials, it is for the MLAs to listen to your inner self and sign the affidavit seeking a united state and give it to the President.

If the state is divided it will be weakened and it will slip from being third biggest economy to the 8th and 13th places. When 70 % of the population does not want division, why the Congress is so adamant is not clear. It will anyway go after 70 days as election notification is due, he said.

He reiterated that YSR Congress will stand for a united state and will support only that person and party that will assure to keep the state united. INN

Addressing a huge gathering here on Sunday, Jagan Mohan Reddy said the Chief Minister has been deceiving the people while the leader of Opposition Chandrababu NaIdu has been speaking of packages and is not willing to withdraw the letter he has given to the Centre accepting the division.

People of the Kuppam should mount pressure on Naidu to change his mind and take the Samaikya slogan. Naidu has asked people of this constituency to close down shops when I come here to address the public meeting. The area should observe a total shut-down when Naidu comes to this place as he has been a party to the division of the State which is being carried out by Sonia Gandhi to see that her son is made Prime Minister, he said amidst a huge round applause.

Naidu should answer where from we will get power and water if the State is divided. We will plunge into further turmoil as we are facing a tough situation despite the courts and Tribunals. Water sharing will be the contentious issue and we are not getting a drop of water unless the needs of Maharashtra and Karnataka are fulfilled despite having courts and Tribunals. If another state comes in between the situation will worsen, he said.

If Sonia Gandhi, who has taken Indian citizenship some 30 years ago, is asked to leave the country, how will the Congress and the leader react? They will spin on their tails. In that case how can they ask the Telugu people, who were staying together for the past 60 years to part, he asked drawing another bout of applause.

“I have selected Kuppam to begin my Samaikya Sankharavam Yatra as this is the most backward area and the district also is lagging behind. Every one of you should condemn the division of the State and should vent your ire through votes and give maximum number of MPs to YSRCP to scuttle the moves of Delhi to divide the State,’ he said.

Before addressing the public meeting, he unveiled the statue of YSR and paid rich tributes.

Earlier, addressing a public meeting at Santipuram of Kuppam constituency, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy asked the people if they want a division and if the Telugu people have to fight for water and Hyderabad they have shouted in unison “no” which reverberated at the venue.

The Yatra is aimed at bringing in politics with accountability and responsibility and to usher in a change in the political system laden with intrigue and selfishness. It is a pity that people who do not know Telugu and the richness of its culture are trying to split the State, he said.

Elections are round the corner, and if the people of the State voice their concern for a united state in votes and we win 30 Parliament seats, we will be in a position to decide the next Prime Minister and play a key role in national politics and keep the state united, he said.

Continuing his diatribe against Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister K Kiran Kumar Reddy and TDP leader N Chandrababau Naidu, he said they are plotting to divide the state for political gains.

Naidu who has given a letter accepting the division refuses to give take back the letter and never utters Samaikhya Andhra even once while the Chief Minister has been sending officials to Delhi to expedite the division process and does not concede to our demand of convening the assembly to pass a resolution against the division. The two leaders are resorting to theatrics, he said.

Reiterating that this is a fight between Delhi arrogance and Telugu self respect, he said, it is not how many days you lived but how you lived and for what values that matters. A leader should live in the hearts of the people even after his death.

This is the second day of the Samaikhya Shankaravam Yatra. INN