Asserting that the opposition YSRC has no guts to face the TDP in the 2019 elections, TDP general secretary and Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh has described the BJP as the number one enemy of the people of Andhra Pradesh.

“In 2014, the Opposition party stood against us firmly. But, now it lost the courage to fight us directly and is resorting to conspiracies by coming up in different ways in different attires with secret agendas,’’ he said, indirectly indicating that the TDP sees the BJP as its main poll opponent rather than the YSRC.
Addressing party functionaries on the second day of Mahanadu, the three-day conclave of the TDP, here on Monday, Lokesh said,  “The YSRC is in Intensive Care Unit and the BJP is supplying oxygen to the opposition party. Thus, voting for the YSRC is nothing but voting for the BJP.’’

“In fact, the BJP is also not believing the YSRC and bringing actors, caste associations and retired IAS officials to damage the credibility of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu,’’ he alleged.There is a saying in English ‘When you cannot convince people, confuse them’ and the opposition parties are following the same, he observed.

Taking a strong exception to the remark of YSRC chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy asking people to catch the collar and confront the Chief Minister, Lokesh said the Opposition Leader should remind that he is taking out his padayatra on the roads laid by the TDP government.Referring to the allegations of corruption made against him by Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, the minister challenged all those who are levelling allegations against him to prove them with evidence. “Instead of making baseless remarks, prove them if you have any guts,” he challenged.

He also said that the government is putting sincere efforts to resolve the Uddanam kidney ailments issue and had set up a water treatment plant there. “The water plant was initially planned in Kuppam, constituency represented by Chief Minister, but was later shifted to Uddanam sensing the gravity of the issue,’’ Lokesh said.

After explaining the progress of cement roads, construction of toilets, Anganwadi centres and solar pumpsets, the minister also took a dig at the YSRC MPs and BJP MLC Somu Veerraju for writing a letter to the Centre seeking to stall the release of MGNREGS funds to the State.