Yelahanka row a diversion from Electoral conspiracies: Perni Nani

Machilipatnam, Oct 31: Former Minister and YSRCP Krishna District President Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) slammed Chandrababu Naidu for using the Yelahanka property controversy to divert public attention from electoral irregularities and the coalition government’s failures. Addressing the media at his camp office in Machilipatnam, Nani charged that Chandrababu had nothing to show for two-and-a-half years of governance and had lost public support. The Super Six, Super Seven and all 143 manifesto promises have failed to deliver meaningful results, leaving every section of society dissatisfied.

The ruling coalition has been undermining democracy from the nomination stage, preventing opposition candidates from filing nominations and attempting to keep YSRCP polling agents out of polling stations through unprecedented police-clearance requirements. Instead of conducting elections immediately after local bodies’ terms expired, the government is holding successive elections without giving voters sufficient time to assess its performance, determined to secure victories through manipulation.

Of the nearly 65,000 police personnel available, including Home Guards, only 25,000 have been deployed for municipal elections, with thousands concentrated in YSRCP strongholds to create insecurity among voters. Bribes are being collected from businessmen to arrange the distribution of Rs. 2,000 per vote. The requirement to submit polling-agent details five days in advance is another attempt to obstruct opposition participation, while police officials are disregarding even High Court directions.

Comparing the treatment of democracy to Draupadi’s public humiliation in the Kaurava court, Nani charged that certain IPS officers were facilitating the destruction of democratic procedures. Just as Bhishma and Dronacharya remained silent during that humiliation and subsequently faced the consequences, BJP leader Madhav and State Election Commissioner Punetha must recognise the consequences of remaining silent over electoral irregularities.

Chandrababu has also turned Cyclone Arnab into a publicity exercise while abandoning affected families and farmers. The cyclone is now being used as a pretext to plan deliberate interruptions of electricity supply to polling stations, creating further opportunities for electoral manipulation.

The controversy surrounding the Yelahanka property in Bengaluru is another attempt to divert attention from these developments. Whenever Chandrababu requires a political controversy, Sharmila appears with allegations against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Her tweet claiming ownership of the Bengaluru property, just a day before municipal polling, raises serious questions about its timing and political purpose. The campaign is serving Chandrababu’s political interests by attempting to damage Jagan’s reputation.

The Yelahanka property belongs to Dr. Sugunamma, Jagan’s mother-in-law. YS Bharathi’s parents, Dr. Gangireddy and Dr. Sugunamma, were reputed and financially established medical practitioners in Kadapa and Anantapur districts. With successful practices and substantial financial resources, they educated their children in Bengaluru and purchased property there. The relevant ownership documents clearly establish these facts.

YS Jagan’s company leased the Yelahanka land nearly 20 years ago and constructed two guesthouses. Out of affection for his younger sister, Jagan permitted Sharmila to stay in one whenever she visited Bengaluru. Even today, YS Jagan’s company pays the bills and other charges relating to every structure on the property. Merely staying in a guesthouse does not establish ownership. Even the MOU that Sharmila claims, YS Jagan executed in her favour contains no reference to the Yelahanka property. How, then, can she claim that the property belongs to her?

Even after the death of YS Rajasekhara Reddy, YS Jagan provided approximately Rs. 230 crore to his sister Sharmila. How many brothers extend such substantial financial support to their sisters more than 25 years after marriage?

Regarding Sharmila’s daughter’s wedding, YS Jagan had clearly communicated in advance that the ceremony could not be held at Yelahanka because of security concerns. He had also made it clear that he would take the same decision even for his own daughters. Despite this communication, Sharmila printed wedding invitations naming Yelahanka as the venue. What was the intention behind proceeding with those invitations after being informed of the security restrictions?

YS Jagan subsequently wrote another letter offering the Lotus Pond residence in Hyderabad for the wedding. Why was this alternative not accepted? Turning a daughter’s wedding into a political controversy and allowing Chandrababu to exploit family relationships for political advantage is deeply inappropriate.

Chandrababu is dragging the private affairs of the YS family, including the relationship between a brother and sister, the Yelahanka guesthouses and a niece’s wedding, into political controversy. Creating divisions within a family and publicly exploiting women for political purposes cannot be justified.

Before questioning another family’s affairs, Chandrababu must answer questions about his own parents, brother, sisters and family assets. Chandrababu has publicly spoken of possessing assets worth Rs. 1 lakh crore. How much of that wealth has he given his younger brother and two sisters? Has he ever given his siblings even Rs. 2 lakhs? What shares do his brother and sisters hold in Heritage Foods?

Chandrababu’s own sister’s son-in-law stated at a press conference that Chandrababu did not visit his sister in hospital even after she suffered a leg fracture. While maintaining close relationships with his in-laws, why does Chandrababu neglect his own brother and two sisters? Did he offer his Hyderabad residence for his nephew’s wedding? Were his siblings invited to his swearing-in ceremony or the foundation ceremony of the residence being constructed on five acres in Amaravati? Nani also questioned whether Chandrababu had fulfilled even his basic responsibilities towards his parents.

Why did Chandrababu’s mother, Ammannamma, gift approximately seven acres of land in Madhapur, Hyderabad, exclusively to Lokesh? She has another son and two daughters, who also have children. Why were they not given similar benefits? Chandrababu must answer questions about the distribution of assets within his own family before interfering in the private affairs of others.

The government must stop exploiting personal and family disputes to divert attention from its administrative failures. Instead of orchestrating propaganda against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and manipulating the electoral process, Chandrababu must concentrate on implementing the promises made to the people and ensuring that local-body elections are conducted freely, fairly and impartially.