Lok Sabha results not a setback: KT Rama Rao

TRS leader K T Rama Rao on Tuesday said that he does not consider the average performance of the party in the Lok Sabha elections as his failure as the party's working president. In an informal interaction with media here, KTR said that the party's vote percentage has increased from 34 per cent in 2014 to 40 per cent in 2019. Though all the party leaders have worked hard, still the party could win only nine seats. In two of the three seats in which the Congress has won, the majority was by a whisker.

The party would review the election results after the Council elections under LAC (local Authorities constituencies) quota. "Trends in these elections were bizarre. It is not a setback to TRS… the reason for increase of voting in favour of BJP was because people wanted to see Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. The BJP got votes even at places where there is no cadre.

In Serilingampally, BJP got 50,000 votes. In Sircilla Assembly, BJP candidate had received 3,000 votes but now they got 50,000 votes," said KTR adding the BJP would have been surprised with their win in Adilabad.

KTR said that there was no truth in the argument that senior leader T Harish Rao was kept aside in the party. The Chief Minister has extensively campaigned in the election and there is no need to say somebody has not campaigned. He pointed out that though Medak candidate's victory was huge, the majority for the party decreased in Siddipet (which is the constituency of Harish Rao). He



also said that KCR's comment of 'Hindugallu Bondugallu' was not the reason for the defeat of TRS. 

KTR said that farmers were not the reason for defeat of K Kavitha in Nizamabad and alleged the candidates were not farmers but political party leaders. The Congress and BJP leaders collided in this election. "Me and Kavitha have faced many setbacks and one defeat cannot demoralise us. Results are like small speed breakers. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has lost... will their party activists sleep at their homes now," asked Rao. Simultaneous elections to Assembly and Lok Sabha would not have hampered chances of TRS, he added. Replying to a question, Rao said that the party had got more votes in the constituencies of Congress MLAs, who expressed their willingness to join TRS. KTR further said that TRS was never friendly with Narendra Modi and their relationship with the later would be constitutional. He said that there would have been no difference even if TRS would have won 16 seats as BJP got majority on its own. He said that the Congress party is in no position to be as main opposition, which is good for federal spirit and the regional parties would be playing this role. 

Rao said that as expected Chandrababu Naidu was defeated in Andhra Pradesh. Jaganmohan Reddy has been among the people hence he won, and he should be given credit for it. Replying to a question, Rao said, he was not going for the swearing-in ceremony of Jagan.