Hyderabad: The "sympathy factor" would not work for YSR Congress President YS Jaganmohan Reddy, arrested in a disproportionate assets case, in the June 12 by-election in Andhra Pradesh, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said.
"Common people will not tolerate corruption...There is hatred for Jagan. He is going to lose (the by-elections) miserably. Surprising results are in store," Chandrababu claimed.
When asked if the sympathy factor would work in favour of Jagan following his arrest, the TDP chief shot back, "Why are you measuring corruption with elections? Elections, politics and corruption are different things. People are very wise."
Corrupt elements were now seeking to become "icons", he said, referring to Jagan. "The country was going to dogs because of such elements," Chandrababu told reporters, adding that he would educate people on this.
The former chief minister pointed out that Andhra Pradesh witnessed eight elections in the last three years, which was unprecedented in the country.
"Some by-elections are caused in the name of sentiment and some in the name of sympathy. That`s the reason we are stressing for electoral reforms under which legislators resigning at will for no valid reason should be barred for ten years from contesting elections afresh," he said.
Chandrababu strongly rebutted Jagan`s claim that the Kiran Kumar Reddy government was surviving only with TDP`s support. "Politically, we are fighting the Congress as well as the YSRC. On corruption too there is no compromise and we shall spare none," he asserted.
On the impact of the recent corruption scandals and the arrest of industrialists, Chandrababu observed that the state`s image had certainly taken a beating and AP entrepreneurs have suffered a setback.
"The situation is very bad in the state now as far as business climate is concerned. One (YS Rajasekhara Reddy) family`s greed is responsible for this sorry state of affairs," the former chief minister alleged.
PTI
