Jagan calls Chandrababu Naidu a non-local in Kuppam  

In his first visit to Kuppam in the last three years and three months since he became chief minister, Jagan on Friday called Naidu a non-local to Kuppam and that the Opposition leader had done nothing for his home constituency in his 14 years as chief minister.

Naidu an outsider? 

In a blistering attack at a well-attended public meeting held to launch the third tranche of the YSR Cheyutha programme, Jagan said Naidu had more love towards Hyderabad than his home constituency.

“Naidu, who was Kuppam MLA for 33 years, used the backward-class vote bank but did nothing for them, in contrast to the plethora of our welfare schemes,” said Jagan.

“He benefited out of Kuppam but did nothing in return to the people here. In fact, he doesn’t love Kuppam at all. He doesn’t even have a house of his own here in all these years, whereas he built a palatial bungalow in Hyderabad — which he loves the most — after he became the chief minister. He doesn’t have a vote here in Kuppam,” he added.

He also said that the local MLC KRJ Bharath had been part of the implementation of the current government’s schemes, and appealed to the Kuppam electorate to choose him in the 2024 polls, promising to make him a minister in his Cabinet.

Earlier in the day, Jagan was given a rousing welcome in Kuppam by YSRCP cadres. YSRCP workers
and supporters were seen on either side of the road as the convoy of Jagan moved all along the route to the meeting venue.

‘Kuppam saw more growth under YSRCP’

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Kuppam on Friday. (Supplied)

Affirming that the Kuppam constituency saw development after he took over the reins of the state, Jagan announced that the social security pension being given to senior citizens and other beneficiaries would be hiked to ₹2,750 from January.

Speaking at the Cheyutha disbursement function held at Animiganipalle in Kuppam, the chief minister said that, unlike the previous Naidu government, all sections of people are
experiencing development under his regime, which is tangible all over.

Describing YSR Cheyutha as a scheme that helps SC, ST, BC, and minority-community women run their families, and one that has been bringing in a major change with the empowerment, Jagan said, a weeklong Cheyutha festival would be held at Kuppam. Elected representatives would visit each house at the mandal level.

Jagan’s schemes

For the third consecutive year, 26.39 lakh beneficiaries are receiving the amount of ₹4,949.44 crore directly into their bank accounts. For YSR Cheyutha itself, ₹14,110.62 crore were given in the past three years, while ₹19,617 crore were disbursed under Amma Vodi to 44.50 beneficiaries.

Under YSR Asara, ₹12,758 crore were given to 78.74 lakh beneficiaries, while ₹3,615 crores were given under the YSR Zero Interest scheme.

In all, the state government has given ₹3.12 lakh crore under DBT and non-DBT schemes, of which ₹2.39 lakh crore was given only to women.

Listing out the development works done in Kuppam, the Jagan said he had ensured water to the Kuppam canal, municipality status to Kuppam, and a revenue division, while Naidu.

“From the ₹6.5-crore Reddipalli Ramkuppam power substation to the railway under bridge, to an integrated office complex to sanctioning ₹20 crore to Dravida University, all were done by this government,” he said.

TDP leaders kept under house arrest

Chief Minisster YS Jagan Mohan Reddy seen with minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, MLC KRJ Bharath in Kuppam on Friday (Supplied

After Jagan began focusing on Kuppam, Naidu visited the town more often than he had done in decades. In the last two of his visits, Kuppam town witnessed some scenes of violence as clashes broke out between workers of the ruling YSRCP and the TDP.

To avert any such violent incidents, the local police took stringent security measures this time.

As part of it, the police had kept several TDP leaders under house arrest.

The TDP leaders alleged that the YSRCP used private school buses to mobilise people from nearby towns outside the Kuppam segment for the public meeting.

As the school buses were used by the organisers, TDP alleged that schools had to declare a holiday on Friday, and that they would be open on Saturday.