Liquor sales to be limited, then banned in Andhra? See what CM designate YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has promised to do

Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister designate YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday promised to limit liqour sale in the state and claimed that he will enforce a complete ban on alcohol by 2024. Stating that his poll manifesto is like a holy scripture for him, Reddy said that he would only seek votes in the next assembly elections if he limits the sale of liquor to five-star hotels. Jagan, as the YSRCP leader is popularly known, is set to take oath as the chief minister on May 30. His party stormed to power in the state with a landslide victory on Thursday, winning 151 seats in the 175-member Assembly.

Reddy also alleged that his predecessor N Chandrababu Naidu had resorted to "insider trading" and there was a big land scam in new state capital Amaravati. Addressing a news conference in the national capital, he said Naidu and his "benamis" (proxies) purchased vast tracts of lands at throwaway prices in Amaravati by misleading people that the state capital will come up at other places. Reddy alleged that the lands of Naidu and his "benamis" were also exempted from land pooling under which lands of farmers and others were acquired. 

"Even under the land pooling, he paid compensation to whoever he wanted and at whatever rate he wanted," said Reddy, who was in Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He promised to look into these scams that happened during the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) rule. 

"I have nothing against Mr Chandrababu Naidu but as the chief minister I am the custodian of the state," he said. 

He also announced that wherever scams had taken place, he would cancel those works and go for "reserve tenders" to award the works to the lowest bidder after ensuring participation of more number of bidders in the tender process. "We will tell people where the scams were happening and how much public money we are able to save."

Reddy has promised to hold department-wise reviews and release white papers after his swearing-in so that people know the factual position of every department. "I promise that our government will be revolutionary. In six months to one year, we will stand as exemplary to the whole country," he said.