Giving in to the incessant attack by the Telugu Desam Party of a tacit understanding between the YSR Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samithi, YS Jaganmohan Reddy finally justified taking support for achieving special category status.
“Andhra Pradesh has 25 MPs and Telangana has 17. If we join our hands we can fight the Centre effectively for our rights”, said Jagan at an election rally in Tadipatri town of Rayalaseema’s Anantapur district on Monday. Jagan apparently made these comments as the TDP and the Janasena leaders have effectively took the KCR meddling with AP politics issue effectively into the voters during the past one week.
It has been alleged that the selection of YSRCP candidates was made by KCR sitting in his Pragathi Bhavan residence in Hyderabad and many TDP sympathizers were blackmailed to join YSRCP. Janasena Chief Pawan Kalyan even alleged that many were physically attacked and were warned of dire consequences if they support TDP.
Refuting allegations of TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu that TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao has sent Rs 1000 cr in support of YSRCP in Andhra elections, Jagan wanted to know if KCR has called Naidu and told that he gave election fund. “It is unbecoming of a CM to talk like this. Naidu is stooping down to make baseless allegations against me," Jagan said.
Two months ago KCR’s son and TRS Party working president KT Rama Rao, along with some other party leaders, met Jagan at his Lotus pond residence and invited him into the Federal Front. Jagan agreed to the offer but the proposed visit of KCR to Andhra to give a ‘return gift” to Naidu never materialized, looking at the resentment of people of AP over the entry of KCR into state politics.
Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh after a decade long battle in June 2014. During agitation for separate statehood for Telangana, KCR used harsh words against leaders and investors from Andhra region and also heckled the culture, traditions and knowledge levels of people of Andhra.