Minister for Municipal Administration Botcha Satyanarayana has alleged that former Chief Minister and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu is indulging in gimmicks to gain sympathy of people ahead of the Tirupati Lok Sabha bypoll.
Addressing a media conference here on Tuesday, Mr. Satyanarayana said that Mr. Naidu had announced boycott of the MPTC and ZPTC polls as he was convinced of the party’s defeat. Now, fearing the party’s debacle in the Tirupati bypoll, he was enacting the drama of ‘pelting of stones’ at his rally. His objective was to show the ruling party in bad light, Mr. Satyanarayana said.
The public display of the stone, allegedly thrown at his rally, showed his eagerness to earn the sympathy of the public. Investigation by the police and interrogation of 20 persons after the incident and CCTV footage of the area has not pointed to any suspicion or the presence of any stones in the area. Only a few persons were said to have sustained minor injuries in the attack and it was being blown out of proportion, the Minister said.
Saying that success and defeat were common in elections, the Minister advised Mr. Naidu to go for introspection for the party’s defeat in the Urban Local Body polls and initiate remedial measures instead of indulging in mudslinging on the ruling party to gain cheap publicity.
‘Looting of sand’
Referring to the allegations of BJP president J.P. Nadda that sand was being looted in the State, he said that during the Telugu Desam Party rule in the State, when the BJP was in alliance with it, sand was looted and that was responsible for the defeat of the BJP in the State.
The YSRCP government’s welfare programmes would ensure the success of the party in the bypoll, Mr. Satyanarayana said.
