BJP will emerge a key player after elections in Telangana: Amit Shah

Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday claimed that it will emerge as a “key player” in Telangana State after the Assembly elections. Declaring that his party will contest from every seat and will do so “strongly”, the BJP national president Amit Shah said the Telangana Rashtra Samiti Government’s decision to call for elections to the Assemby nine months ahead of schedule “smacks of an attempt to seek political gain.”

Though the TRS had originally supported the idea of simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and Assemblies, it’s sudden U-turn came as a surprise, he said. Shah also said by doing so, the TRS government has placed additional financial burden of “crores of rupees” on the people of the state for holding separate polls in a matter of a few months.

Amith Shah also accused the TRS of going for early polls only to “further family rule” in the State. People of Telangana know why the elections were called in advance, he said.

He said the TRS government did not keep may of its promises and wanted to know if it would keep its word on making a



Dalit the Chief Minister of the state in 2018. “This was promised by K Chandrashekhar Rao before the 2014 elections. Will he keep his promise at least now?” he asked.

He also accused the TRS of joining hands with the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen party which he described as “todays’ Razakars.” This, Amit Shah said “is noting but pandering to vote bank politics. The contests you see between MIM and TRS are make believe wrestling matches.” The TRS was well aware that 12% reservations for minorities will not be possible as the Constitution prohibits religion-based reservations, he added.

Answering questions, he said the BJP has no truck with the TRS. “It was a separate issue that at the government level, the Centre supported development projects in the State. But politically, the BJP will take on the TRS and emerge as a key player in the State. I am confident of this,” he said.

On the issue of rising petrol and diesel prices, he said the Central government will soon announce its plan of action. “The government stand will be made public soon,” he said.