Jagan holds a fan (YSRC’s election symbol), and the fan doesn’t work because the switch is with Modi and the speed regulator is with KCR.Nara Lokesh, IT Minister of Andhra Pradesh
On the campaign trail in Mangalagiri, The Quint interviews Nara Lokesh, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu's son and IT Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Lokesh, who is contesting from a difficult Assembly seat last won by the TDP in 1985, reacts to detractors calling him the "Pappu of Andhra Pradesh" and accuses KCR of funding Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRC.
The following are excerpts from the interview.
‘Won’t Trust Habitual Liars BJP Again’
The Quint: TDP left NDA in 2018 because the BJP govt did not fulfil their poll promise of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh, but could the TDP consider rejoining the NDA fold, especially if BJP promises special status yet again?
Nara Lokesh: Should Andhra again believe a habitual liar? We were strong allies of the BJP but they have proven themselves to be habitual liars. We're not going to support them.
The Quint: And what has Rahul Gandhi promised?
Nara Lokesh: He has come here and said, very clearly – that will be the first thing that they pass, the Special Category status for Andhra Pradesh.
The Quint: But you know, this is what Narendra Modi said before 2014. So, what if Rahul Gandhi is taking you for a ride this time around?
Nara Lokesh: Well then, God save the country. Because this will then put a lot of tension on the federal and state spirit. Because you have to trust one of the two larger parties. One has ditched us. So, we have no choice but to go with the other one. And now if they ditch us, then I think we should ask the question – why should Andhra Pradesh be part of this great nation? Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the floor of Rajya Sabha made commitments. When someone of that stature makes commitments and then they (the government) don't deliver then it puts to question the state and federal spirit.
On Contesting a Seat Last Won by TDP in 1985
The Quint: Why contest the Assembly election from Mangalagiri, a seat that the TDP last won in 1985?
Nara Lokesh: That's the reason I chose it. Anyone can win from the bastion. But actually, taking a weak seat and turning it around is more critical for me as a leader.
The Quint: How does you react to being trolled by your detractors as "Pappu of Andhra Pradesh"?
Nara Lokesh: Well, it's the master plan of the Opposition. I really don't waste my time on it. As a minister, I got 120+ awards for my state. I'm a part of the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum. I've been selected this year. So, I go about doing my work. I don't waste time on trolls.
Progress in Amaravati Too Slow?
The Quint: Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, your YSRC opponent and incumbent MLA from Mangalagiri, says you are an outsider in the constituency.
Nara Lokesh: Well, that is his assumption. I've been living here, my vote is here. I've been around here (in Amaravati) for the last three and a half years. So, that makes me as much of a local as the sitting MLA.
The Quint: Speaking of Amaravati, Jagan’s YSRC criticises the TDP government for not being able to develop the to-be-capital quickly enough.
Nara Lokesh: The opposition (YSRC leadership) is not here in Amaravati. They're in Hyderabad. Obviously, they don't know what is going on. So, they make all such baseless allegations. If you look at any other large infrastructure projects in India, nothing has moved anywhere close to how Amaravati has now moved forward.
‘KCR Funding Jagan’s Campaign’
The Quint: Has Jagan's 341-day padayatra across AP shown TDP to be out of touch with the people, in comparison?
Nara Lokesh: Where is Jagan connected to the people? He has just gone around kissing people. What is his commitment to the people? I mean, he's a man who's been 16 months in the jail, has 31 cases against him. We, as a political party and as a government, have always been with the people. We've understood their problems, we have solved them.
The Quint: During campaigning, why does TDP repeatedly refer to KCR's support for Jagan?
Nara Lokesh: Very simple, I've been telling people – Jagan holds a fan (YSRC’s election symbol), and the fan doesn't work because the switch is with Modi and the speed regulator is with KCR. The trio is trying to come here and dethrone Mr Naidu. But people of Andhra Pradesh are clearly with us.
The Quint: TDP has alleged that KCR's TRS is funding Jagan's YSRC, but where's the proof?
Nara Lokesh: TRS prachar rathams (campaign vehicles) are actually now coming into Andhra and they've painted them in YSRCP colours but they forgot to change the seat covers. Is that a good enough proof? The kind of money that's actually been flowing in from Telangana to here – that’s number one. Number two – KTR (TRS working president) has been calling all our MLAs, our candidates, saying "Don't contest."
The Quint: If that's been happening, why has your party not been filing complaints with the Election Commission?
Nara Lokesh: We've told the Election Commissioner. Let's understand that MLAs also have assets, they obviously don't want to be harassed by another government. But we've been taking this to the people.
How Will Leaders Like Kejriwal and Mamata Impact Andhra Voters?
The Quint: Why bring regional leaders like Mamata and Kejriwal to campaign for TDP? How will they impact Andhra voters?
Nara Lokesh: No, it's also about making our message clear that Mahagathbandhan is there. It's working and it is the formidable alternative to the Prime Minister today. So, this is what we're driving into the people. You know, BJP always says, "Where is the mahagathbandhan?" I mean, they should open their eyes and see and they'll know what's happening. I'm pretty confident that people do believe that the current prime minister has been all talk, but nothing got delivered at the field level.
Modi does not want us to unite, so he has his own ways. But a straight question to him – why is India doing so poorly when you have a clear mandate? Why is the unemployment rate the highest? Why is the growth rate the lowest? Why is agriculture output the lowest?
Will Pawan Kalyan Split the Kapu Vote?
The Quint: Pawan Kalyan's support in 2014 had helped TDP bag a majority of votes from the Kapu community. Kalyan's Jana Sena party is now contesting the polls – will the split in the Kapu vote hurt TDP’s prospects?
Nara Lokesh: Well, all the analysts in Delhi can think about various numbers. But in the state the community has been strongly with TDP. We've done lot of welfare. All the commitments given to them as part of our manifesto have also been delivered. So, they're with us, they'll continue to be with us.
The Quint: But there is criticism that the boost to welfare schemes came too late in TDP's tenure?
Nara Lokesh: See, as the state budget improves, obviously our welfare grows up.
Can Lokesh Win Over the Weavers?
The Quint: The majority vote share in Mangalagiri belongs to the Padmashali (weaver) community. Why should the Padmashalis switch towards TDP after three decades?
Nara Lokesh: The handloom sector itself is struggling. So we've also reduced the age for pension to 50 years. Second, is power. Earlier, 100 units of power was free. Now, Telugu Desam Party has made it 150 units of power free. Apart from that, we're also giving subsidy on yarn, and we've also now created a specific corporation for them.
So, the whole idea is now, how can we use technology much better here? So, I have a few thoughts. I'm thinking can we now centralise a lot of the work? Take input from the market on what is actually required by the market. And based on that create products, not just for India, but for the global economy. If you look at this, we've done this with Araku coffee. We've taken the humble coffee in Araku and have actually taken it to London and Paris. And it's now one of the most expensive coffees on the planet.
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