YS Jagan Padayatra Successful: Daggubati

Vijayawada: Former minister and senior politician Dr Daggubati Venkateswara Rao said Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh assembly YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's padayatra was immensely successful and was being well received by people. Daggubati said that the manner in which people responded to YS Jagan’s walkathon was a benchmark of its success.

He criticised the present day political system and said that he never paid money to people to vote for him. Speaking at an interactive session with the press here today, he said before 1983 this kind of political environment was not seen. "Slowly this has percolated to all levels and this was the reason I decided to stay away from politics," he lamented.

Daggubati said all through his term he was accessible to people and helped them when in need. He said today the system was totally different, and a candidate ended up spending around Rs 20 crores per constituency. Moreover, the candidate is not sure which way the voter would swing after taking money, he observed.

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The former minister said that nobody was permanent in politics and warned all the present day politicians to wake up to this reality.

He alleged that for votes in Telangana, the leaders of the day had ignored Pulichintala and Polavaram projects. Only after late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy became the CM that the projects' works were restarted. He informed the people that earlier Prime Minister Deve Gowda government was ready to give necessary permissions for starting Polavaram project, but just for the fear of losing Telangana votes, the leaders did not pursue it.

Daggubati observed that unnecessary fiasco about Polavaram project was being created by the TDP government and added that it was only to waste government money. He said it would be better if the project is handed over to the central government.