Despite losing Andhra, YSRCP will play big role in Parliament: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said that his party shouldn’t be written off because it lost the recent state assembly elections in Hyderabad, as they still have 15 MPs in Parliament.
Hyderabad
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said that his party shouldn’t be written off because it lost the recent state assembly elections in Hyderabad, as they still have 15 MPs in Parliament.
“We have 11 Rajya Sabha members and four Lok Sabha members. Though the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which is part of the National Democratic Alliance, has 16 members in Lok Sabha, we are also a strong party with 15 MPs who will play a crucial role in Parliament,” Jagan said, while addressing a meeting of his party MPs at his camp office in Tadepalli.
He said that despite the setback in the assembly elections, the YSRCP remained strong and no force could decimate it. “Our party shall extend issue-based support to whichever side in Parliament keeping in view the best interests of the state and the country. Welfare of the people will be the guiding principle of our party in Parliament,” he said.
Jagan asked the party MPs to follow the party’s philosophy and agenda and raise the issues concerning the state. Every issue that is raised in Parliament should be discussed thoroughly with the party, he said.
He announced Rajya Sabha member YV Subba Reddy as the parliamentary party leader, while V Vijay Sai Reddy and P Mithun Reddy would act as the party floor leader in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, respectively.
The YSRCP president said the outcome of the assembly elections was very shocking and surprising to the party, as his government had extended the best governance to all sections of people in the last five years. “We brought in revolutionary reforms in every field, particularly in education and health sectors. We provided opportunities to SCs, STS, OBCs and minorities as never before. Yet, we lost power in the elections,” he said.
Stating that lakhs of workers and their families were dependent on the party, Jagan said he was confident that the party would soon regain its glory. “Our vote share came down from 50% in 2019 to 40% in 2024. I am sure, this 10% of voters would soon realise the difference between our government and the present government. Let us not lower our guard and fight back with renewed vigour,” he said.
Jagan said that six years ago he had undertaken a marathon padayatra for 14 months. “I am still young. I have not lost the spirit. I still have the energy and potential to wage the battle,” he said.
For the last three days, the YSRCP chief has been holding a series of meetings with party leaders to infuse confidence in them, stating that it was only a temporary setback for the party and it had all the potential to bounce back. He asked them not to get disheartened with the recent drubbing in the assembly elections.
“The five-year period between 2019 and 2024 passed off in a blink of an eye. The next five years, too, would be completed within no time. I am confident that we shall win back the support and mandate of the people again,” he said, addressing the party MLCs on Thursday. “Let us give the ruling dispensation some time. They have already begun making mistakes. Let us count their mistakes and then let us rise and fight against Chandrababu Naidu’s government.”
He also announced that he would soon go on a state-wide tour to call on the families of the party workers who had been attacked by the TDP and Jana Sena workers in the post-poll violence.
The YSRCP supremo said that the TDP cadres were wreaking havoc, resorting to violence against the people who did not vote for their party in the recent elections. “They are trying to humiliate those who supported the YSRCP. All these are like Shishupala’s mistakes,” he said.