“A leader who emerges from people will know the problems that confront them. How can a person who had emerged from a sealed cover know the problems of people?” asked YSR Congress leader Sharmila in an indirect reference to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Rousing reception

She was addressing the ‘Maro Prasthanam’ padayatra at Kotipalli bus stand here on Tuesday night after entering East Godavari district. She was accorded a rousing reception on the road-cum-rail bridge on the Godavari by party leaders Bommana Rajkumar, T.K. Visweswara Reddy, Akula Veerraju, Guttula Muralidhar, and Jakkampudi Vijayalakshmi. Despite heavy rain, a large number of party activists and people attended the public meeting organised at the bus stand.

Coming down heavily on both the ruling Congress and main opposition party TDP, Ms. Sharmila said these parties were working hand-in-glove to target the YSRC and its president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

Stating that TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu had mortgaged the party to the Congress, Ms. Sharmila said Mr. Naidu was talking about waging a war against corruption after amassing wealth and keeping it in the Swiss bank.

Continuing her tirade against Mr. Naidu, the YSRC leader questioned why the TDP president did not make a member of the Nandamuri family Chief Minister after “dethroning” party founder-president N.T. Rama Rao. “It was only with an eye to bring his (Naidu’s) son into limelight,” she said.

‘Schemes diluted’

Criticising Kiran Kumar Reddy government for “diluting” the welfare schemes introduced by the former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, she said the government had removed 133 diseases from the Arogyasri list and 97 hospitals from its network.

She expressed anguish that farmers of the Godavari districts had to go for crop holiday during the Congress rule.