"People are waiting to vote for a change": Andhra BJP chief Daggubati Purandeswari files nomination

Purandeswari claimed that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government had not utilized the funds provided by the central government and had instead indulged in corruption. She also accused the government of not implementing the promises made in its manifesto and of neglecting the welfare of the people.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Daggubati Purandeswari filed her nomination from Rajahmundry Lok Sabha constituency on Friday. Speaking about the prospects of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Andhra Pradesh, Purandeswari said that people are waiting to vote for a change in government.

"I am sure the results will be good. The people of Andhra Pradesh are actually waiting for a change. I think in the past five years the kind of governance that they have seen in the state of AP, it has dissatisfied almost every section of the society and therefore people are waiting to vote for a change," Purandeswari said speaking to ANI on Friday. "Hence after May 13, when the results are out on June 4, I am sure there will be a good government that is put in place, and that government will be the NDA alliance that has been recently formed between Bharatiya Janata Party, TDP and Jana Sena," she added.

On the manifesto for the Andhra Pradesh assembly polls, Purandeswari, who is former Andhra Chief Minister NTR's daughter, said that a committee has already been formed to discuss it. "Our manifesto will be the national manifesto that will be released soon. Already a Committee has been formed which is discussing what issues should be addressed through the manifesto. Therefore Bharatiya Janata Party will be going with that manifesto to the people," Purandeswari said.

On allegations of phone tapping in the state, Purandeswari said that the ruling Jagan Mohan Reddy government is "undemocratically putting oppression" on opposition parties. "When I was talking to a few friends of mine, they were worried to speak to us over the mobile phone. They fear that phone tapping is being done. This is a sad state of affairs where the party in power is actually putting oppression on the opposition parties...They are undemocratically putting oppression and instilling fear in the minds of the opposition," the Andhra BJP chief said.

Speaking on some leaders from its alliance partners showing signs of unhappiness for not being given tickets, Purandeswari said that it is natural for them to be disheartened and there is a need to ensure coordination between the parties in its alliance. "The Bharatiya Janata Party was prepared to contest in 175 assemblies and 25 parliamentary seats. But keeping the larger picture in mind, where we had the development of the state of Andhra Pradesh in mind and where we were looking at "Iss baar 400 paar" at the Centre that we have formed an alliance. It is natural that those people who have worked very hard for five years to contest the elections, they do get a little disheartened. We need to talk to them and ensure that there is coordination and assure that the party and its leaders are always standing by them," the senior BJP leader said.

On her efforts to ensure coordination among leaders in the Rajahmundry constituency, Purandeswari said that she is holding regular meetings with the TDP and Jana Sena leaders to sort out the differences. "Since I have been to Rajahmundry from the 5th of this month, I have been holding coordination meetings with the other two parties because there were disgruntled elements in the other two parties. Similarly, I am talking to my karyakartas also who may be one or two here and they are a little unhappy that they did not get seats. But it is all a matter of coordination. I am sure that once the nominations are done,I am sure things will settle down," she said.

The BJP made Purandeswari its Andhra Pradesh unit president in the first week of July last year in place of Somu Veerraju who held that post since 2020. She joined the BJP in 2014 after resigning from the Congress. The Andhra Pradesh Assembly consists of 175 seats, and it sends 25 seats in the Lok Sabha.

In the 2019 Assembly elections, the YSRCP won with a thumping majority of 151 seats, while the TDP was confined to 23 seats. In the Lok Sabha polls, YSRCP won 22 seats and TDP could only win three seats. (ANI)

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