PM Modi, Chandrababu Naidu hold show of strength in Andhra: ‘NDA will cross 400’

Addressing the crowd in Hindi, with Andhra BJP chief Daggubati Purandeshwari translating his speech into Telugu, Modi said: “The NDA keeps regional aspirations as well as national progress in mind. Naidu and Pawan Kalyan are working hard here to bring in a double-engine growth government which will hasten development in the state. With TDP joining the NDA, we have become more stronger.’’

“We are going into this election with two objectives – to bring the NDA back in power in New Delhi, and to bring down the state government here. YSRCP leaders are competing with each other in corruption. There has been no development in this state in the last five years,’’ he said.

The YSRCP and Congress are not separate parties, they are working together to help each other, Modi said. “In NDA, we carry all along; but the Congress has only one agenda — to use and throw its allies. Today, the Congress may have formed the INDI alliance, but its thinking remains the same,’’ he said.

He urged people to vote for the NDA, at the Centre and State, to facilitate implementation of the Central government’s schemes in the state. “All NDA MPs and MLAs will work for you with great effort, this is Modi’s guarantee,’’ he said.

Switching to Telugu, Modi said: “Nalugu vandalu datali, NDA ki vote veyalli (NDA should cross 400, so vote for NDA).”

“Election results are on June 4 which means the NDA will cross 400,’’ he said. “There is this extraordinary coincidence. This time, the election results are going to be declared on June 4… and the whole country is saying ‘400 paar’. So ‘400 paar’ for developed India, ‘400 paar’ for Andhra Pradesh’,’’ he said.

In the run-up to the meeting, the TDP had released a special logo featuring the images of Modi, Naidu and Kalyan. Naidu said the parties had decided to contest the elections together, under Modi’s “dynamic and visionary” leadership.

“From this ‘prajagalam’ meeting, we are launching the campaign to drive away the YSRCP and its dirty politics. The PM has come here to support the wishes of the 5 crore people of Andhra Pradesh to see the NDA in power in the state. The BJP-TDP-JSP alliance has brought happiness to the 5 crore people of Andhra Pradesh. PM Modi is poised to get a historic third term and he has lent his support to Andhra Pradesh and its people. We stand unwaveringly to fulfil the wish of making Amaravati the capital of this state,” Naidu said.

This was the first time that Naidu was sharing the stage with Andhra BJP chief Purandeshwari, who is his sister-in-law.

The three parties finalised their seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha and state polls following a marathon discussion held at Naidu’s residence in Undavalli on March 11. Of the total 25 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP will contest six, TDP 17, and JSP 2; of the total 175 Assembly seats, the BJP will contest 10, TDP 144, and JSP 21.