YSR bets on jobs, electricity

Hyderabad

March 20: The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, asked the people to choose between Chandrag-rahanam and Raja Yoga, ahead of the launch of his 25-day campaign for the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections next month.

The reference to Chandra-grahanam, lunar eclipse that is considered inauspicious, is a play on the name of his main rival, the TD chief, Mr N. Cha-ndrababu Naidu. Dr Reddy was comparing Mr Naidu’s nine years in power with his own five-year tenure.

Launching the party’s election campaign by beating a drum in the presence of the ministers, Ms Sabita Indra Reddy and Dr Geetha Reddy at a five-star hotel, Dr Reddy summarised his five-rule as Raja Yoga for all sections of people.

“Work for everyone, light in every house and water to every acre is our slogan,” Dr Reddy said. “We have proved that the Congress alone can deliver more than what is promised.”

Dr Reddy will start his poll tour from Chevella, from where he has launched several political and government programmes, on March 24 or 25. The tour will continue till April 21, the last day of campaign for the second phase polls.

The Chief Minister will tour in an RTC bus and pay the charges, eschewing the specially made vehicles preferred by his rivals. He will sleep in a bulletproof bus that will tag along with the campaign, as the availability of government guest houses is not assured.

“The Chief Minister would not get preference in allotment of government guest houses as the code of conduct treats every political leader on same footing,” a close aide of Dr Reddy said. A separate bus with four personal attendants and a cook would follow Dr Reddy’s bus.

Dr Reddy’s security personnel suggested that Dr Reddy travel by helicopter, but he refused saying he would like to meet more people on his road trip.

He may, however, use one of the two helicopters hired by the Congress to travel long distances. He will break the tour midway to file his nomination papers at Pulivendula. “If top leaders campaign in the state, I will take another break,” Dr Reddy said.

The Chief Minister is in fine fettle. “The only problem is his eye, on which he had undergone minor surgery recently. Doctors have advised him not to expose himself to the sun and heat,” Dr Reddy’s aide said. He requested his partymen to plunge into campaign rightaway. “The gold medal in this race is ours. Other parties would fight for silver and bronze medals. Their statements are indicating that only,” Dr Reddy said.

The Chief Minister said the TD offering Cash Transfer Scheme and free colour TV sets was like the jackal trying to act like a tiger.
“He (Mr Naidu) during his 9-year term never worked for the poor, now he is coming out with a dozen (schemes) every day,” he said.

“At least another 25 lakh acres should be covered through new irrigation projects. This must be done in two or three years,” Dr Reddy said. He made it clear that the ongoing projects would be completed only if the Congress is voted to power. Dr Reddy told the media that his party is set to win 234 Assembly and 36 Lok Sabha seats in the ensuing elections.