Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary S. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy on Saturday alleged that there is a dark understanding between the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh.

“There is a fixing game going on between TDP and YSRCP. When TDP comes to power, they protect YSRCP and when YSRCP comes to power they protect TDP,” claimed Reddy.

He asserted that both TDP and YSRCP have done nothing for the state but looted it for years together.

After staying in the opposition for nearly 10 years, YSRCP completed two years heading the government whereas the TDP enjoyed power for more than 15 years with N. Chandrababu Naidu alone heading the TDP governments for 14 years.

Naidu was the longest serving chief minister.

BJP Rajya Sabha member G.V.L. Narasimha Rao has also alleged that the Andhra Pradesh government is resorting to financial bungling for the YSRCP to grab credit for central government schemes.

“Financial bungling in state government and YSRCP’s attempts to grab credit for central government’s PMAY,” alleged Rao.

Commenting on some sections’ interest in installing a Tipu Sultan statue in Kadapa district, Reddy claimed that he was a barbaric emperor who massacred Hindus.

He asserted that whether it is YSRCP or any other party, they will not allow such a move.

Earlier, Rao addressed the inaugural state level workshop of the BJP’s newly appointed convenors and members from different departments and cells at Rajamundry.

BJP aims to grab power in the southern state and is intensely organising the party and its cadres.

“While on one hand we must strengthen the party from the booth level onwards, on the other, through agitations we need to represent people even on the smallest issues. We need to fill the existing political vacuum in Andhra,” observed BJP’s national secretary and co-incharge for Andhra Pradesh, Sunil Deodhar recently at Gudur.

The Andhra Pradesh wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has organised a meeting on Friday to deliberate on the water disputes between the two Telugu states.

BJP state general secretary S. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy on Wednesday said the meeting scheduled in Kurnool will dwell upon ‘illegal’ water projects on the Krishna river which are an injustice to Rayalaseema.

He said the rescheduled meeting will also discuss other water projects which are controversial.

Earlier, party state president Somu Veerraju held a meeting with the party cadres in Visakhapatnam in the presence of senior BJP leader Arun Singh.

Veerraju said the BJP is the political party with the highest number of representatives from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

According to the BJP leader, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, every family now has a Jan Dhan account and Aayushman Bharat cover for poor families.

Drawing a comparison between the erstwhile Congress government, he said Rs 35,000 crore was the health budget under Manmohan Singh while it is Rs 2.4 lakh crore under Modi.

Veerraju encouraged BJP cadres to publicise the achievements of the Modi government such as Ram Temple in Ayodhya, free ration till Diwali, tribal varsity for Vizianagaram district, medical college in Paderu and others.

“Take these to the people. Every country is welcoming Modi with a red carpet,” he added.

A live debate on a Telugu news channel turned ugly when one of the panelists assaulted a BJP leader with a slipper.

During the political debate on Tuesday night, Kolikapudi Srinivasa Rao, an activist working against the trifurcation of Amaravati, removed his slipper and hit BJP’s Andhra Pradesh general secretary Vishnu Vardhan Reddy after a verbal duel over some comments made by Reddy on former chief ministers.

Enraged by these remarks, Rao fired back at Reddy saying he was talking “nonsense”. He was aided by condemnation from another panelist who logged in virtually from home.

“You are crossing your limits,” Reddy warned Rao, but he said that he will repeat the “nonsense” word 100 times.

As the debate heated up, Reddy accused Rao that he should wear a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) flag and then debate, hinting that he was a TDP supporter.

“Wear a TDP flag and talk or go and work in the TDP office. Who are you? Who are you to ask me? Should I do your paid artist job?” fumed Reddy.

On hearing the “paid artist” jibe, an infuriated Rao removed his slipper and struck Reddy on his face and questioned him “who is a paid artist?”

Those opposing Amaravati’s trifurcation are termed as “paid artists” by their political opponents, who allege that they are opposing trifurcation as the land value in Amaravati region will plummet.