'Vexed electorate eyeing BJP'

'Praja Chaitanya Sadassu' in City on April 8, says haribabu

Visakhapatnam: Vexed with the 'anti-people' and 'anti-worker' policies, 'corrupt, inefficient, ineffective and indifferent' attitude of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre and the Congress government in the State to the burning problems like price rise and severe power crisis, electorate in rural and urban areas is now opting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on the lines of Gujarat government, which was supplying round-the-clock uninterrupted power, said former MLA and party National Executive Committee member Dr Kambhampati Haribabu.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Dr Haribabu said as part of the party leadership's decision to hold 'Praja Chaitanya Sadassus' in all Parliamentary constituencies in the State, they were making arrangements to conduct the programme in the city at Swarna Bharati Indoor Stadium on April 8. He released a wall poster highlighting issues such as power crisis, price rise, depreciation in the rupee value, Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and education and health through which the country's development took a backseat. "We appeal to the public to come along with us to bring back a BJP-led NDA rule for all-round development of the nation as the BJP is the only alternative national party to the ruling Congress," he said.

Lashing out at the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which had introduced a no-confidence motion in the recent Assembly session, Dr Haribabu alleged that the TRS was ready to merge with the Congress if Telangana was given while the latter was indirectly supporting the UPA government and thus the Telugu Desam Party, which was opposing the Congress, had saved the government from a political crisis. "The people are now thinking if they vote either for the TRS or YSRCP or TDP, it would indirectly help the ruling Congress and are hence opting for the BJP everywhere, including interior rural villages," he said.

The former MLA said though the entire State was reeling under darkness, it was unfortunate that there was no minister to look after the Power portfolio. BJP-ruled States like Gujarat, MP and Chhattisgarh were supplying uninterrupted power only because the leaders had a foresight while Andhra Pradesh had utterly failed on all fronts, he said. Referring to the generation of solar and wind power in the State, he said solar power generation was about 20 MWs and wind power was less than 100 MWs as against 850 MWs of solar power and surplus wind power in Gujarat.

Opposing the recent statement of the Chief Minister claiming there was industrial development, the BJP leader said that due to power crisis, many industrialists were shifting to other States. Party leaders would educate the public on all burning issues in the ensuing 'Praja Chaitanya Sadassu', he added. Party State vice-president Bandaru Rangamohan claimed that all sections of people were looking for a 'change' in the government, which would be possible only with the BJP, the lone alternative national party to the Congress. BJP former national president M Venkaiah Naidu and other leaders would address the meeting, he said.

Among others, BJYM national secretary PNV Madhav, former city presidents M Nagendra and T Subbarami Reddy and media in-charge M Ramakrishnam Raju were present.