Hyderabad, March 21 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Saturday exuded confidence that the Congress would retain power in the state as it had fulfilled all its promises on implementing welfare and development programmes in the last five years.
“We are sure to win. All major surveys done by various organisations have also predicted this,” YSR said at a press conference. Andhra Pradesh will hold simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls April 16 and 23.
The chief minister claimed there was no anti-incumbency and even if there was some, the votes would get divided between the Telugu Desam Party and Praja Rajyam of actor-politician Chiranjeevi, thus facilitating Congress party’s victory.
“We are seeking a fresh mandate on the basis of our performance in the last five years. Ours is a government of the poor. The kind of schemes we implemented for the poor were not taken up by any state government,” he said.
YSR, as the chief minister is popularly known, listed out the schemes launched by his government for the welfare of women, backward classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities.
He recalled that the previous Telugu Desam government neglected all these sections.
“The hi-tech government of (TDP chief and former chief minister N.) Chandrababu Naidu ignored the interests of the poor and the farmers but he is now shedding crocodile tears for them by making several promises. Why did he not implement these schemes during his nine-year rule?” asked YSR.