Not the height of Polavaram dam, but TDP will be dwarfed: Jagan

Amaravati: Hitting out at the Opposition and its "friendly media" for falsely claiming that the height of the Polavaram project will be decreased, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy said it is not the height of the dam but the height (presence) of the TDP that has been reducing election after election.He said the party will be dwarfed in 2024 with Chandrababu Naidu even losing Kuppam.

"It is not the height of the Polavaram dam but the height of TDP that was reduced to 23 in the 2019 election. The downward slide has been continuing in the subsequent elections to local bodies. The same trend will continue and in the 2024 elections, TDP will become a dwarf losing Kuppam," Jagan said, drawing huge applause from the treasury benches.

Winding up the short discussion on Polavaram, the Chief Minister ridiculed the "friendly media" and asked if the Prime Minister and Jal Shakti minister had personally told the media heads that the height of the dam would be reduced. He alleged that such baseless reports have been appearing regarding the height of the dam without any verification or authentication.

The Chief Minister also presented contrasting pictures of the Polavaram project during the TDP rule and the present time, depicting stark differences and progress of work. He also poked fun at the numerous inaugurations for commencement of works and extravaganza on publicity and the weekly tours to Polavaram which cost a bomb to the exchequer. "We didn't even arrange a single tour to the project but are working hard to meet the deadline," he said.