When Andhra MP Jayadev Galla Told Lok Sabha He Won't Contest Polls Again

Two-time TDP MP Jayadev Galla on Monday informed the Lok Sabha about his decision to step away from politics and not contest the forthcoming general elections, flagging "weaponisation" of government agencies and saying he is also a businessman and it is not easy to sail on two boats.

Mr Galla said that to start and run a business in India, one has to get more than 70 approvals from various agencies and each of these agencies can be weaponised by the party in power, which is detrimental to the Make-in-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives and defeats the very objective of ease of doing business.

Participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, he said, "I have decided not to contest in this general elections. I come from a family that has a legacy of fighting for people but it is not easy to sail on two boats in one go -- to be in public life and also to continue as an entrepreneur. So I have decided to give a pause to my political life," he said.

"Despite stepping aside from electoral politics, my commitment and resolve to serve the nation remains steadfast as I plan to contribute to the development of the country by investing, innovating, creating employment opportunities and generating revenue and wealth for the nation," he said, adding it would be his last speech in Parliament for now.

He said his group of companies is providing jobs to 17,000 people and undertaking various welfare measures for them and their families.

Jayadev, 57, comes from a political family and is the son former state minister Galla Aruna Kumari.

Educated in the US, he lived there for 22 years before returning to India and assuming charge as the managing director of Amara Raja Group, which has a net worth of Rs 5,300 crore and manufactures batteries under the Amaron brand name.

On January 28, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP from Guntur announced a break from full-time politics, citing that he needed to focus on his family and business affairs.

He alleged that his businesses were under the scanner of various investigating agencies and that phones were being tapped as he was vocal about various public issues.

"In the developed world, business people are encouraged to be part of the political administration as they can play an important part in helping people take charge of their economic destinies. Unfortunately, in our country, this means constant fear of reprisals and vendettas.

"To start and run a business, one has to get more than 70 approvals from various agencies and each of these agencies can be weaponized by the party in power which is detrimental to the Make in India initiative, Atmanirbhar Abhiyaan and defeats the very objective of ease of doing business," he said.

Mr Galla asserted that he is still supporting the farmers' agitation going on for more than 1,500 days for making Amaravati the state's sole capital.

The Guntur MP also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership.

"Even though we are not part of the NDA, I cannot resist my temptation to praise the government under the stewardship of Modiji over the last 10 years, how he has taken this country to new heights. We are on the verge of becoming the third largest economy in the world. It is not just governance, but it is the leadership that counts," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)