YS Jaganmohan Reddy said liquor will be banned in Andhra Pradesh if YSRC comes to power (File)
Sale and consumption of liquor will be banned in Andhra Pradesh in three phases if the YSR Congress or YSRC is voted to power in the 2019 assembly election, the party's President YS Jaganmohan Reddy has said. Mr Reddy said illegal liquor vends in villages will be shut down first, followed by a campaign against drinking.
"We will increase liquor prices to such a level that only crorepatis will be able to buy it. And then we will ban liquor completely in the state," Mr Reddy said at a two-day meeting of the party in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district.
"The future is ours. Once I become chief minister, I will bring back the golden rule of our late leader YS Rajasekhara Reddy. Tell this to everyone in the state and ask them to be assured of it," Mr Reddy said.
"I have a strong desire to become the chief minister. I want to rule for 30 years in a manner that will make every household keep my picture, along with that of my late father, after my demise," Mr Reddy said.
He asked party volunteers to take the newly-coined slogan "Anna Vastunnadu... Bhavishyattu Manade (elder brother is coming, future is ours)" to every home in the state.
Mr Reddy, currently leader of opposition in Andhra Pradesh assembly, said he will launch programmes for farmers, students, women and pensioners. He said social security pension will be hiked to Rs 2,000 from Rs 1,000.
He said Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has "betrayed" the state after making "false promises" before the 2014 election. "A case in point is the loan waiver for farmers. Though the farmers' debt burden was over Rs 87,000 crore, Chandrababu waived only Rs 11,000 crore and even that amount was not fully paid. But as soon as I become CM, I will distribute Rs 50,000 to each small and marginal farmer holding less than five acres of land," Mr Reddy said.
He said a price stabilisation fund of Rs 3,000 crore and a calamity relief fund worth Rs 2,000 crore would be launched for farmers in distress, adding Rs 15,000 crore will be kept aside for women self-help groups.
Mr Reddy also appointed Prasanth Kishor political strategist of the YSRC. "Like he helped Narendra Modi become Prime Minister in 2014, Kishor will guide us to victory in 2019," Mr Reddy said.