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With just a few days left for the polls, how has the response been to the alliance between the TDP, BJP, and the Jana Sena Party? 

 

There is a palpable positive wave in favour of the alliance and against the incumbent government. Anti-incumbency is reflected everywhere as the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has destroyed the development ecosystem. All institutions of governance are demolished, leading to chaos and the state's financial bankruptcy. You take any sector, and you will find it in the doldrums.

 

Andhra Pradesh will simultaneously see polling for the Lok Sabha and the State Vidhan Sabha Assembly on May 13. What sense are you getting from the people? Will they vote with the same sentiment for both elections?

 

People have decided to replace the YSRCP. The people who come to me say that there is no governance on the ground and the mismanagement in every sphere is making people suffer. The infrastructure is destroyed, and people complain about lacking necessities like drinking water, power shortages, and broken roads.

 

If you compare, the income of an ordinary man is far less compared to their expenditure, pushing them into a debt tap. The poor administration has taken its toll on every section of the state.

 

What are your predictions about the poll outcome? Will the TDP-BJP-JSP alliance convince the YSRCP voters that a change in government will benefit them?

 

The alliance will win at least 24 of the 25 Parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha polls. The coalition has everything the citizens want: good administration in the state and benefits from the centre. The picture in the assembly polls is also similar. We hope to get 160 out of 175 seats and form the government in the state.

 

During the 2019 elections, the TDP got just 3 seats in Parliament, while the YSRCP got 22 seats. What makes you so hopeful of sweeping these polls, and what strategy are you using to narrow this huge seat gap?

 

I have been in politics for over four decades and worked with tall political leaders including NT Rama Rao. Every leader has some social and political ethics, and we respect each other and do not cross any limits of decency. But I can say without hesitation that Jagan Reddy is a psychopath.

 

I normally do not use such language, but he is speaking ill against his mother and sister. And has now told his wife that I will get him killed. He has mental issues and has destroyed all institutions in the state, and every resident of Andhra Pradesh is his victim. 

 

He is a big looter. May it be the liquor mafia, sand mafia, land mafia, private police for settlements, or grabbing, he has a hand in everything. Only one man has benefitted from the YSRCP government, Jagan Mohan Reddy. When people compare all this with the TDP government from 2014 to 2019, they know whom they should vote for.

 

People in South India have not expressed much support for the BJP. Even in the alliance between the TDP-BJP-JSP (Jana Sena Party, led by Pawan Kalyan, actor turned politician), the BJP will benefit, not the other way around. Why did the TDP then consider the alliance with the BJP, as it would be only a one-sided gain for the BJP?

 

The BJP may not have much presence in Andhra Pradesh, but the party will lead the NDA at the centre. For the people of Andhra Pradesh, special status for the state after its bifurcation in 2014 is a big issue. The YSRCP had come to power on the promise of getting a special status for the state, but in the past five years, it has made getting a special status a non-issue.

 

A special status is required for the state's survival, which is heavily in debt. We will work with the BJP in the state and centre to ensure Andhra Pradesh gets the much-needed special status. All this is to rebuild Andhra Pradesh and restore the state's normalcy.

 

Andhra Pradesh is headed for a triangular contest, with the TDP-BJP-JSP alliance pitted against the YSRCP and the Congress party led by Jagan’s sister Sharmila in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. Do you think the Congress will be a spoiler and eat into the votes of any one party?

 

The Congress is nowhere. If the Congress has a minor impact, it will be on the YSRCP, as Jagan and Sharmila seek votes from the same vote bank in their father's name, the late Raj Shekhar Reddy. The Congress will have no impact on our alliance.

 

Without getting into the case's merits, do you think there is a sympathy factor in your favour after you were arrested and put into jail?

 

People have seen how the land of the law was thrown to the winds, and I was arrested without any warning, notice, or summons. If this could happen to me, you can imagine the plight of a common man. People have been arrested on flimsy grounds to settle political scores.

 

I had no idea how many cases were registered against me; from an apparent three cases, there were 23 matters in which I was named but not told to hit at me later by filing a case of non-declaration in the election affidavit. Have you seen anywhere that the complainant is named accused?

It has happened in the case of the murder of the chief minister’s uncle. People have been booked on charges of mining on their land. Many instances of such highhandedness exist, and people feel very unsafe without safety and security. This will surely impact voting behaviour.

 

The TDP is interested in an alliance with the Jana Sena Party led by Pawan Kalyan, an actor turned politician. Generally, film actors are good crowd-pullers, but this does not typically translate into votes. Do you think Kalyan's presence disproves this notion?

 

Telugu Desam Party is a 43-year-old party. We have a good infrastructure and organisation from top to bottom, and we have been successful through ups and downs and have braved many crises. We can manage our politics, but Pavan Kalyan is different.

 

He's the party head and has his vote bank; he is a fighter. Our love for the state and a common desire to eliminate anti-state factors have brought us together.

 

The Delhi liquor scam has brought Telugu politics under the nation's microscope. K. Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, is in jail. Now, eyebrows are being raised over the TDP, which has allotted Ongole Lok Sabha constituency ticket to M Srinivasulu Reddy, father of Raghava Magunta - Delhi liquor scam case approver. What are your comments about this?

 

Do not compare the two. M Srinivasulu Reddy is a good man. If he were otherwise, we would not have given him the party ticket. He has done a lot of work in the constituency. He is hardworking and people-oriented and has no connection with the liquor scam.

 

The scams this person is fighting in the state are much bigger than the Delhi excise scam.

 

What message are you sending the voters when they have a huge choice in a multi-cornered contest? Why should anyone vote for the TDP over the other parties? Do you ever take up this issue? If yes, what do you tell the voters?

 

People want a change after five years of disaster caused by the YSRCP. I told them they should vote for the TDP if they want to see progress and development in the state. The welfare of the people and sustainable development are our trademarks.

 

We have proved it before, and we will prove it again. People know who developed Hyderabad into a world-class information technology hub; it is a different matter that someone else took the credit for my work.

 

People are scared of repeating the nightmare of the past five years; we are committed to rebuilding the state. Besides, only the NDA-led parties can do this. That is what I am promoting, and the people have belief and trust in me. The TDP is confident of the people’s support and trust.

 

What would be your priorities if you happened to form the government in Andhra Pradesh?

 

The first and foremost thing to do is get the state back in order. The YSRCP has accumulated a debt of 13 lakh crore rupees. There is not enough money to pay pensions and salaries. People are making rounds to the government offices to enquire about pensions and, in the process, get heat stroke and die.

 

Many such incidents have been reported. The YSRCP has done nothing for the past five years except collect money, and now it claims that the High Court is ready and the infrastructure for the state's capital is functional.

 

I have never seen such a lair as the current chief minister. After these issues affecting the people in their day-to-day existence are handled, we will restore our fight for special status for Andhra Pradesh. The current dispensation abandoned this demand.