Chandrababu Naidu, Jagan Mohan Reddy stooges of BJP: Y S Sharmila

YS Sharmila. File Pic/PTI

During a public meeting in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Y S Sharmila accused YSRCP President Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu of being BJP puppets.

Sharmila made these assertions during her election campaign for the state's 175 assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha seats, which will be held simultaneously on May 13, reported PTI.

According to the report, she criticised both Naidu and Reddy, claiming that the state had made little progress in the last ten years under their administration. Sharmila accused them of having intimate ties to the BJP, with one in alliance and the other working as a puppet.

"The state did not witness even a single step forward in the past 10 years. No benefit with Babu (Naidu) and Jagan. Both are hand in glove with the BJP. One is in alliance and other is a stooge," alleged Sharmila.

Sharmila also criticised the BJP for failing to keep its pledge to offer Andhra Pradesh special category status for ten years. She claimed that the BJP neglected the Polavaram Project, causing a significant damage to the state, the PTI report further stated.

According to the report, despite these issues, Sharmila asserted that Naidu and Reddy continue to support the BJP.

She showed faith in the Congress' abilities to develop Andhra Pradesh and vowed to award special category status for ten years if the INDIA alliance wins power, the report added.

The news agency report further stated that Sharmila asked people to vote for former Union HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju, who is running for the Kakinada Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket.

The Communist Party of India (CPI), the Congress, and the CPI(M) are part of the INDIA alliance in Andhra Pradesh, the report added.