CHENNAI, December 5: The 2014 Lok Sabha polls will be a referendum on the Congress-led UPA government’s decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and the YSR Congress will win over 30 seats in the State, said Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Tuesday.
“I challenge the Central Government. Let them first finish the 2014 elections. I am for the united Andhra Pradesh. Let people decide first what they want. I am confident that we will win 30 plus seats and decide who is going to be the Prime Minister. I have confidence in my people. Let them come out with a referendum. The 2014 poll is like a referendum. If they have courage, let them do it,” he told reporters after meeting DMK leader M. Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence.
Earlier in the day, he met Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at the secretariat.
Mr. Reddy, who was in Chennai to muster support for a united Andhra Pradesh, said both Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and Mr. Karunanidhi gave him a patient hearing and he had explained them the need to amend Article (3) of the Constitution.
“I have told them very clearly not to treat this an issue concerning only Andhra Pradesh. If you are going to keep quite at this injustice, very soon it will be your turn and somebody else turn. If the Article 3 is not amended whoever with 272 seats at their disposal in Parliament can divide any State as per their whims and fancies. I impressed upon both the leaders. I told them to take a serious look on this issue,” he said. Asked whether he could get any promise from these two leaders, he said he could only prevail on them. “What can I do. I come to you to convince you. This is where I stop. At the end of the day I pray to God,” he said.
To a question what could regional parties like the AIADMK and the DMK do on the issue when national parties like the BJP and the Congress had supported the birfurcation, he said he had met BJP leader Rajnath Singh and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackery.
“I met everybody. If this is not going to be stopped, this is my turn, tomorrow it will be your turn. First time in the history of the country, Article 3 is being misused,” he said.
Mr. Reddy was accompanied by Ongole MLA Balineni Srinivas, Nellore MP Makhapathi Rajamohan Reddy, Tirupati Urban Development Authority Chairman C.H. Bhaskara Reddy and few other senior leaders.
