Congress, BJP working against KCR, but they cannot hold down BRS juggernaut, says CM

Calling for an all-out offensive to beat back the combined onslaught of the Congress and BJP launched on Telangana, BRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday contended that leaders of the two parties were literally in jitters now.

They were highly apprehensive that if Chandrashekhar Rao was allowed to garner a crushing victory for a consecutive third term in Telangana, he would be certain to storm into Maharashtra in a big way the very next day. “KCR’s juggernaut and his invincibility will be rolling into the neighbouring Maharashtra too,” he said, adding that the two national parties were indulging in a “lafanga dhandha” (shady deal) to smother KCR and get away safely with their sinister agenda.

The Congress and BJP were working hand in glove in the dark to hold him down and confine him to Telangana, Chandrashekhar Rao said, appealing to the voters to be wary of such forces and to respond to them being on high alert. The two national parties were even trying to take care of each other by fielding weaker candidates wherever they desired as per their understanding. They were working vainly in close collusion to checkmate the BRS, he said.

However, the BRS would be unstoppable as ever in its foray into other States. People in over 150 gram panchayats in Maharashtra were pleading for the merger of their areas with Telangana and had adopted unanimous resolutions to this effect.

“The response of the people in Maharashtra to BRS rallies and organisational activities is overwhelming. It was more so wherever I happened to attend a public meeting or address a rally,” he said.

In an obvious reference to TPCC president A Revanth Reddy, he said the man who gained notoriety for venturing to attack with the rifle the youth who were fighting for Statehood was rightly named “Rifle Reddy”. Launching a blistering attack against Revanth Reddy who he said was ‘carrying the boots of Andhra people and stooping down to the level of pleasing TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu with his “chamchagiri”, the Chief Minister said that unfortunately, this kind of a person



wanted to perform “Pinda Pradhanam” (death rituals) of KCR.

“Now it is the turn of the people of the State to decide whose death rites will be performed in the State now. He must understand the fact that we are not short of abuses to hurl at him. If needed, we can do it without any break for the next 24 hours. He should have talked more about his party and policies and what they would have done for the people instead of indulging in a negative campaign targeting the BRS,” he said.

He recalled that Telangana was once a region known for hardships due to drought, migration and being an area unfit for raising paddy. Even the Planning Commission reports too had such references in the past when the Congress was in rule. The neighbouring States too shared such an impression about Telangana. But today, the paddy output of the State had crossed the three crore tonne mark. There is a problem of plenty in the State now. Milling facilities were not enough, transport vehicles were not sufficient. People from Bihar and other States were being hired to work here. Was this turnaround achieved because of the Congress, he asked.

It was neither a mean task nor achieved overnight. A great deal of brainstorming had gone into the process. Brains like Dr GR Reddy, noted economist and retired IAS officers had spent days in devising the way out. They came up with recommendations for formulation of best schemes aimed at reviving the fortunes of the people.

It is because of their work that the best pension schemes and welfare programmes were in implementation in the State. No State could afford to provide round the clock power to the farm sector. Not even the Prime Minister’s Gujarat could think of it so far. Aasara pensions of over Rs.2,000 were unique to Telangana with no Congress-ruled State including Karnataka replicating such a measure so far, he said.

He made it clear that political parties that made tall claims proved to be low in delivery when it came to people’s welfare. No sane person would trade off milch animals for lazy bulls, he stressed, adding that people in the State would not take any risks.