Even as the polls closed in Telangana, frontline leaders of the Congress and the BJP began campaigning in Seemandhra on Wednesday with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi announcing a slew of sops for the voters in the region.
Addressing an impressive rally at Hindupur in Anantapur district of Rayalaseema, the AICC vice president assured security of Seemandhra people living in Hyderabad, besides fair share in education at least for the next ten years.
Among other things, Rahul announced that the Andhra University in Vizag will be given Central University status. With the completion of the Polavaram project, the water needs of people in Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts will be met, he said.
The Congress leader also said AP will get an IIT, IIIT, a multi-specialty medical institution to the level of AIIMS in Delhi, petroleum, agriculture and Tribal university, besides an IIM. “Once I make a promise, I will stick to it. I do not make promises every day. So when I do, I stick to it,” he told the rally.
Meanwhile, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi with his Seemandhra allies Nara Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP and Pawan Kalyan of Jana Sena kick-started his campaign in the holy city of Tirupati.
“While the nation chooses a government, you have to choose a future,” Modi told the audience at a jam-packed Tarakarama stadium waving a mixture of BJP and TDP flags.
“I know you are worried that Hyderabad is not with you. Fifty years ago when Gujarat was formed from Maharashtra, it was the same feeling. But I assure you that people of Seemandhra are more entrepreneurial than that of Gujarat. If my Surat is glowing it is because of weavers from Andhra,” Modi added.
He said India could become self sufficient in power production just only by properly utilising natural gas from Seemandhra Coast.
“But the former government in Delhi had no such long term plans,” he said, offering his assistance to students interested to study in Petroleum institutions in Gujarat.
Drawing parallels between Kutch and Rayalaseema, Modi said "in Kutch we are supplying water through pipelines large enough to carry the Sonia family to the other end in a car”.
Earlier, Chandrababu Naidu received Narendra Modi at the Renigunta Airport. After having darshan at Tirumala, the BJP leader will be addressing a series of public meetings in Seemandhra on Thursday.
