Buggana slams TDP for failing to get due share in Budget

A file image of Buggana Rajendranath Reddy
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The YSR Congress Party has slammed Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for not mounting pressure on the Centre to get more sops to the State and letting go of the advantage to Bihar State.

Speaking to the media in Kurnool on Saturday (February 1, 2025), former Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy said Mr. Naidu’s tweet hailing the Budget was unmindful of the variation vis-à-vis Bihar which had a fewer number of seats.

“Though the Union Budget outlay has crossed ₹50 lakh crore for the first time, Mr. Naidu should explain why Bihar could get more sops and TDP with 16 MPs lagged behind. The same mistake on Polavaram is being repeated on the dam height. It was mentioned in the Budget that the revised cost is for completion which puts the State at a disadvantage and repeat of 2017 mistake,’’ he said.

“While Bihar could get infrastructure, institutions, airports and projects, why was no pressure mounted to get more sops to the State,” he questioned.

There are four ports in State and no allocations were made for further development, he said. The coalition government should put pressure on getting more projects and aid, as the MPs from the State matter for the Centre in this term than in 2019-2024 where BJP had strength on its own, he said.

“Former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has planned to bring in 17 medical colleges in phases and five were completed. Now the Centre is harping on medical education and we stand to lose the number of medical seats with the coalition government not taking forward the initiative. By forfeiting or not taking forward the medical colleges, the coalition government is depriving of medical college seats to the weaker sections,” he said.

When Mr. Jagan had brought in reforms in education sector and digitalised education by distributing tabs, the TDP has objected and now the same policy was reflected in the Budget which shows that Mr. Jagan was ahead of times, he said. The Union Budget has a reflection of Jagan Mohan Reddy government’s priorities like in education, medical and agriculture sectors, he added.