It looks like the YSR Congress party is heading for a confrontation with the Bharatiya Janata Party, as is evident from the attacks and counter-attacks between the two parties for the last few days.
All these days, the YSRC has been maintaining friendly relationship with the BJP, especially at the national level, though they do not have any open alliance.
The BJP leaders in the state, too, were criticising the Jagan government on and off, but they were never serious in their criticism.
However, for the last few days, the BJP leaders have stepped up their attack on the Jagan government, while the national BJP leadership, too, has been ignoring the YSRC government’s representations.
The denial of promised funds to Polavaram project, the objections raised on the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme and the strongly-worded letters on the state’s borrowings indicate that the Modi government is taking a tough stand against Jagan.
That all is not well between the YSRC and the BJP was evident from the outburst of state information minister Perni Nani at the post-cabinet briefing of the media on Friday.
Nani alleged that the Centre was trying to pull down the YSRC government and make a defected MP of the BJP as the chief minister.
Apparently, Jagan has instructed his party ministers to mount the attack on the BJP, which he suspects, has been trying to destabilise his government. He was also upset with the NDA government for not reciprocating despite the YSRC’s unconditional support to the Centre.
A day after Nani’s outburst at the BJP, state deputy chief minister Md Amzad Basha also lashed out at the saffron party, stating that the Centre was conspiring to dethrone the Jagan government.
“The BJP is indulging in communal politics to gain political mileage in the state and improve its strength,” Basha alleged.
BJP, too, strongly reacted to the YSRC criticism. BJP in-charge of Andhra affairs Sunil Deodhar said there was no need for the Centre to destabilise the Jagan government.
“Jagan feeling insecure as his bail might get cancelled any moment. The state’s financial position is in doldrums due to heavy debts. You have dug your own grave by indulging in corruption worth thousands of crores,” Deodhar commented.
He also found fault with the YSRC ministers for comparing the borrowings of the centre and the states.
“Though the centre has taken loans, it has spent the same on providing vaccination to the people free of cost, but not like your government which is doling out money to the people in the name of welfare schemes,” the BJP leader said.
