Amaravati, March 6 (NationPress) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday criticized the YSR Congress Party for evading its obligation to participate in the Legislative Assembly, asserting that the designation of opposition is determined by the electorate, not the government.

During a discussion on the Appropriation Bill in the Assembly, he remarked that the YSRCP claims it will attend only if granted the title of the primary opposition.

"Both power and opposition status are earned through public votes. These principles are clearly outlined in the Constitution, yet they deliberately attempt to politicize the matter," he stated.

Naidu pointed out that the electorate has not assigned the necessary seats for the YSRCP to hold opposition status.

The YSR Congress has been absent from the Assembly, demanding the position of Leader of Opposition for its chief and former Chief Minister, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Currently, the YSRCP holds merely 11 seats in a 175-member Assembly.

He asserted that over the past 20 months, the coalition government has navigated various challenges to set the state back on its course.

"We are in the process of reconstructing Andhra Pradesh, which suffered damage due to the division and destruction caused by previous leaders. With the assistance of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are making pivotal decisions for the welfare of the people," he added.

He emphasized that the success of 94 percent of NDA candidates in recent elections reflects the trust the public has placed in them.

Naidu noted that the partners within the NDA government are collaborating effectively to advance the state.

He mentioned that the coalition has undertaken the responsibility of rebuilding and securing the state’s future, which had become increasingly difficult. The NDA allies were expected to function in complete harmony, and they have been successful in this endeavor.

"We are steering the state from devastation to development and from crisis to prosperity. The previous administration dismantled all systems. We have restored everything to order," he remarked.

He reiterated that the coalition has a plan to win the 2029 elections to achieve their 2047 objectives.

Under the past government, 85 out of 92 centrally funded schemes had become ineffective, and funds were misallocated.

He accused former leaders of mortgaging government assets to incur debts, claiming that properties like MRO offices and primary health centers were leveraged.

He alleged that the previous administration misused public financial resources by securing loans at exorbitant interest rates of 12-13 percent. "We have restructured loans amounting to ₹43,298 crore, which will lead to savings of ₹328 crore. We also plan to restructure loans worth an additional ₹1 lakh crore, yielding ₹1,658 crore. This funding will allow us to implement further welfare programs," he stated.

He claimed that the coalition government has attracted investments totaling ₹20 lakh crore by introducing 25 new policies in the state, expected to create jobs for 23 lakh individuals.

Chandrababu Naidu affirmed that the Polavaram project will be dedicated to the nation by June of the following year, accusing his predecessor Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of undermining the project, which he described as the state’s lifeline, for personal gain.

He also mentioned that with the support of the Centre, the coalition government has revitalized the Amaravati capital project, which is expected to take form within three years.

He indicated that the government has also salvaged the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant with assistance from the Centre, marking the first time the plant has become profitable.