Chandrababu Thanked The Centre For Special Package. What Happened Now?: Purandeswari 

D Purandeswari, BJP MP Candidate for Visakhapatnam had said that the Chief minister of AP N Chandrababu Naidu has successfully run a negative campaign for the BJP full of misrepresentation and falsehood.

In a candid with a national daily she said, “It is wrong to think that people of the State hate the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They still respect Modi and like to see him as Prime Minister again. But there is a feeling of anguish among the people due to Chandrababu Naidu. The people have been misled on a number of issues, including Special Category Status (SCS), by Naidu.”

Even though the people did not understand what SCS was all about, or whether the state qualified for it or not, weather a special package was better than SCS they had it driven in their minds the state had lost something and they have only BJP to blame for it.

The Chief Minister, in a letter dated October 24, 2016 to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, had not only appreciated the special package but also showed his gratitude for it. And then he took a U-turn.

“The Central Government has not only been giving the full revenue deficit grant for five years but also the benefit of 90% share in the Centrally- sponsored schemes in the form of a special assistance measure. Even after getting the double benefit, Naidu is misleading the people,” Purandeswari alleged.

Purandeshwari is contesting in the elections for the second time from Visakhapatnam. She had contested for the first time through Congress' ticket and won by defeting Palla Srinivasa Rao of the TDP. After bifurcation of the State, she deserted the Congress and joined the BJP.

“I was not happy with the way the State was bifurcated by the Congress. The people were not involved in decision-making. And that made me come out of the Congress. Now, I am comfortable in the BJP,” she said.

“Acceptability is no factor in Visakhapatnam. I am accepted not only as an MP who served here before but also as daughter of ‘Anna garu’ (NTR). I am touring the constituency extensively. The response is positive, but how much of it will translate into votes is to be seen,” she said.

Critical of a section of the media, Purandeswari said, “It has been one-sided. Had it been honest, people would have come to know the truth.”

On her focus area, she said, “Pollution is a big issue in the city. Tourism is one area that I will concentrate on.”

“There is great scope for tourism, and some out-of-the-box thinking without harming the ecological balance can do wonders both in terms of revenue and employment generation,” concluded Purandeswari.

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