TDP president and former Chief Ministerv N. Chandrababu Naidu asserted that his party was continuing its relentless fight against the mind games, atrocities and unchecked violations of the ruling YCP in the ongoing panchayat elections.
Naidu said that in this lawless election, it was democracy that was being defeated in the state but not the Telugu Desam Party. Despite the YCP threats, the TDP and its allies have posted good results and got 41.41 percent seats in the 3rd phase panchayat polls. They have won over 1,093 panchayats as the final results poured in. The TDP has already won 38.74 percent seats in first phase and 39.52 percent seats in second phase.
Addressing a press conference here, the TDP chief slammed the ruling party for using huge corruption money amassed from sand and liquor mafia to buy votes at Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per head. Crores of rupees were dumped in the Kuppam segment to get immoral victories there. The ruling party maniacs brought outsiders to defeat democracy. Kuppam was known for its credibility, peace-loving people and ethical values but now the YCP goondas have polluted the atmosphere.
Naidu asked why he should resign when the YCP leaders misused the police and threatened the candidates besides committing many violations to snatch unethical victories. However, the TDP would step up its fight and it would not allow the Jagan regime to do ‘Pulivendula panchayati’ all over the state. The people have already started revolting against the implementation of the oppressive, faction-ridden Raja Reddy Constitution by Jagan Reddy. The TDP cadres would rally together to protect the benevolent, people-friendly Ambedkar Constitution in Andhra Pradesh. Stating that higher voter turnouts indicated people’s enthusiasm in the election, Chandrababu Naidu said that there was uniformity in polling with 81.66 percent recorded in first phase, 81.67 percent in second phase and now 80.71 percent in third phase. All this was possible only with the awareness and confidence created by the TDP. This was the first moral victory for the Opposition against the YCP leaders’ vicious designs to nominate their persons in the panchayats by ensuring ‘forcible unanimous elections’. The good response to the TDP and its allies marked the beginning of the downfall of the ruling YCP.