By Kommineni Srinivasa Rao

The manner in which the YSRCP plenary was held in Guntur, the tremendous public response to it coupled with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's nine promises to the people has shaken the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to the core.

Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is understood to have told his partymen especially the ministers to increase verbal attacks on the YSRCP. However, the chief minister and his ministers seem to have forgotten that he cannot fool the people of the state as they have been deceived by the TDP several times in the past.

The CM stated that there is no truth in the speeches made at the YSRCP plenary. Hitting back at him, senior YSRCP leader Ambati Rambabu said that Chandrababu is as guaranteed to speak lies like Aadhar Card is a guarantee for all social transactions. Not only the CM, but his cabinet ministers too are guaranteed to lie. For instance minister Nara Lokesh said that the TDP has fulfilled all its poll promises. Another minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy said that all farm loans have been waived off by the TDP regime. A few ministers have gone to the extent of stating that it is the YSRCP that is proving to be a hurdle in the implementation of welfare programmes.

YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy addressing the party plenary in Guntur.

Was YS Jagan's speech bereft of facts or did Chandrababu lie? Let us check. All the promises made by YS Jagan relate to those that will be implemented once YSRCP comes to power in the state. Hence, there is no scope of them being true or false. Will the promises be implemented by YSRCP is a matter of discussion after YSRCP becomes the ruling party. However, the same cannot be said of Chandrababu Naidu. The electorate has already seen three years of his administration that is filled with lies and backtracking on promises.

In fact the TDP election manifesto has 600 promises. The last three years has seen the CM struggling to fulfill those promises and is habitually resorting to lies to mislead the people and divert the public attention from his poll promises. Take a few instances from the TDP manifesto: farm loan waiver, loans for DWCRA women, Rs 2,000 for unemployed youth, reservation for the Kapu community and cell phones for women. How many of these promises were fulfilled in the last three years? Doesn't that mean the chief minister and his coterie are lying to the people? The list of such TDP promises is endless and the party's failure to implement them only speaks of the hollowness of Chandrababu Naidu's administration.

The late YS Rajasekhara Reddy had once said that Chandrababu Naidu is a specialist in speaking lies without batting an eyelid. "That is not possible for me to do," he had added. It would have atleast been a saving grace if the chief minister and his followers conducted a self-introspection and confessed to the people about their mistakes. But the sad part is that even after three years in power, the TDP wants to run the administration with lies and deceit. But how long will they be able to continue to do the same is the question.