Kakinada celebrated Independence Day with grandeur as Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan hoisted the national flag and addressed the gathering. In his speech, he highlighted major development and welfare initiatives, including the ₹7,910 crore Jal Jeevan Mission across five districts and ₹380 crore worth of projects completed in Pithapuram in 2024. He also spoke about the Thalliki Vandanam, Deepam, and Shri Shakthi scheme, which is launching today and will provide free bus travel for women across the state. He further highlighted various Grama Panchayat initiatives and welfare programmes being implemented throughout Andhra Pradesh.

Pawan stressed that the coalition government’s mission is to ensure stable governance. “We are not here to enjoy positions; we are here to serve the people,” he said firmly.

Answering YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy’s accusations over the Pulivendula ZPTC election, Pawan gave a strong rebuttal. He mocked the inconsistency of celebrating victories as “people’s mandate” while blaming EVMs for defeats. “When they win, it’s the people’s verdict. When they lose, suddenly it’s the fault of the EVMs? This is a double standard,” he remarked.

Pawan also recalled that in 2019, the coalition never made such allegations. “Now they are saying these things only to create disturbances within the country. This is an international conspiracy, deliberately aligning with foreign powers, making false accusations, and weakening the nation from within,” he alleged.

Referring to India’s strategic advantage, Pawan noted that the country possesses one of the world’s longest coastlines. “If we are not strong from within, this very strength can turn into a weakness,” he warned, stressing the importance of internal unity and security.