Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy dares N Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan to contest all 175 seats in assembly elections

TENALI: Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has challenged TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan to contest in all 175 assembly constituencies in the state if they have "guts to face the public". Jagan, who released financial assistance to farmers under YSR Rythu Bharosa-PM Kisan scheme on Tuesday, said he is going to win all 175 seats as "I have the blessings of God and trust of the public". The government remitted 1,090 crore into the accounts of over 52 lakh farmers under the scheme. The government also disbursed 77 crore input subsidy to 90,000 farmers, who lost their crops due to cyclone Mandous. Addressing a public meeting at the agriculture market yard in Tenali, Jagan lashed out at opposition parties for misleading the people. Targeting Naidu for orchestrating a "poisonous campaign" against the government as he does not have the courage to seek votes from the people, Jagan appealed to people to extend their support to him only if they benefited during his rule. "We have done good to every family in the last four years. We have fulfilled all our promises. That's why your son (referring to himself) has the courage to seek votes based on his performance," he said, adding that the state government distributed over 27,000 crore to farmers, with each farmer getting nearly 54,000 financial assistance in the last four years.The state will prosper only when its farmers are happy. There has been no drought in the state in the last four years ever since your son (Jagan) took over the reins of the state. The state reeled under severe drought conditions throughout the five years ruled by my predecessor (Naidu),” he said, further stating that Naidu was synonymous for drought whenever he headed the state. The next elections would be between the party (YSRCP) which modernised schools for the better future of children from poor families, and the party (referring to TDP) which opposed the development of schools. “It would be a battle between the party (YSRCP) which took the side of the poor, and the party which backed corporate firms. It would be a tussle between the party which took healthcare to the villages in a span of four years, and the party which neglected the public healthcare system,” the chief minister told the crowd. Calling TDP ‘Tinuko (eat)- Dochuko (loot)-Panchuko (distribute among the gang)’ as it “looted public monies” for the benefit of Naidu’s coterie, Jagan said Naidu could not implement any welfare schemes as he was never a pro-poor leader. “This government has disbursed over 2.2 lakh crore through DBT (direct benefit transfer) to the poor through various welfare schemes in a transparent mode,” he added.