March 12, 2013:
Reaffirming the party’s commitment for people’s welfare, YSR Congress Honorary President YS Vijayamma has said the Party would emerge as a vital force to play a key role on the national political canvas after the 2014 general elections.
“We have to rededicate ourselves for bringing back the golden era of YSR by strengthening the party through mass contact programmes which enables us to win over 200 assembly and more than 30 Parliament seats,’ she said while addressing the cadre on the second anniversary of the party here on Tuesday.
In the two years of existence, YSR Congress Party has seen many twists and turns, receive overwhelming support and faced severe hardships, but YS Jagan Mohan Reddy did not budge and stood ground to fulfill his promise of bringing back the golden era of YSR, she said.
Of the two years, he was in jail for ten months. Still he remained in the hearts of the people who have shown their approval through a thumping mandate in Kadapa and Puivendula two months after the party came into being and in the subsequent by-elections which has seen the ruling Congress and main opposition losing deposits.
“Jagan has appealed to the people to commit themselves for the people’s cause and take up their issues to get closer to the masses. This is how the party and its structure get strengthened and the future is ours,” she said amidst thundering applause.
We are the future and will emerge as a formidable force. Our role in the national politics will be very important. Though some opposition parties and vested interests have been distorting the interview I had given to a national daily, the fact is in print and can be verified.
“We do not support communal parties. Depending on the situation and keeping the interest of the State we will extend our support to any party or coalition.” This statement has been distorted and the issue of merger is being brought to the fore, though we ruled out any pre-poll alliance.
This propaganda is only due to fear that the parties may be decimated in the ensuing general elections, she said.
Listing out the welfare schemes of YSR, some of which were not included in the manifesto, she said in his three decades of public life, YSR was loyal to Congress and he knew the pulse of the people as he moved very closely to them.
“He could thus chalk out welfare schemes that reached to the people who are in need and address their problems. Aarogyasri, fees reimbursement, free power, paval vaddi, loan waiver are but some of the schemes which will be remembered by people.
After his death the government of the day has deflated all the welfare schemes and has been burdening people through hike in power chares, bus charges, acute power cuts and the leaders are only working to safeguard their position by numerous trips to Delhi.
It is YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who will be bringing back the golden era in the days to come and I call upon the cadre to join hands and work towards our goal, she said.
The main opposition TDP on the other hand has been working hand in glove with Congress and has filed false cases against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He was arrested undemocratically and put in jail for the past 10 months on the grounds that he will influence the witnesses in his capacity as president of a political party. Ten months before the arrest also he was the president and there was no evidence of Jagan trying to influence witnesses. CBI is being used as a tool to settle political scores.
Unable to fight us politically, the parties have been targeting family members in the name of religion or some concocted versions on Sharmila and her husband. But we have the support of people.
After I gave a call for a one crore signature campaign to highlight the CBI’s arrogant style of functioning, nearly two crore people have volunteered to sign. Sharmila’s padayatra is getting good response and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has been enquiring about the people’s issues and directing the programmes we have been undertaking.
We have the golden era of YSR in the past, period of struggle and people’s unequivocal support is the present situation we are in and the bringing back the golden era with more welfare schemes like Amma vodi lies ahead of us in the future, she said.
Large number of party workers attended the function at the Central party office.
