E-Paper
Ahead of elections,PM makes ₹13.5k-cr infra push in T’gana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Telangana, saying that the state wants a change in government. Telangana will hold elections in the coming months. Modi also announced the launch of several developmental projects in the state, including the establishment of a National Turmeric Board and a central university for tribals. The Congress party is making a strong bid to claim the state's assembly.
Telangana will vote to change the state government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in one of his most prominent election campaign events for the state this year, a political blitz that comes at a time the region is recording an intense battle including the Congress and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Modi addressed a large rally at Palamuru in Mahabubnagar, ahead of which he laid the foundation stones for several developmental projects and inaugurated some finished structures, worth altogether over ₹13,500 crore, according to a government release.
“Telangana wants a change. The people of this region reposed their faith in the BJP in the last Lok Sabha elections, municipal elections and the by-elections to the state assembly. I am confident they will bless the party in the days to come,” Modi said.
Since it was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the BRS (then TRS, or Telangana Rashtra Samiti), has only had BRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao, whose party was steadfast on the statehood demand.
Soon after Modi’s public rally at Mahabubnagar, BRS working president and Telangana information technology and industries minister KT Rama Rao said it was not Telangana which was looking for a change, but the entire country wanted a change of government at the Centre.
KTR took to X (formerly Twitter), saying the people of Telangana were very much aware that NaMo stood for cheating. “The steering of the BRS party is very much in the hands of KCR, but the steering of the BJP has gone into the hands of Adani,” he retorted.
In an unnamed but ostensible reference to All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the Prime Minister said though it was the Bharat Rashtra Samithi which was running the Telangana government, it was under the control of the other party. “The election symbol of the ruling party is car, but its steering is in the hands of somebody else,” he said.
Stating that both the BRS and its friendly party are family-based parties, Modi said they were operating like private limited companies, working for the benefits of their own families, leaving the development of the state to winds.
“Their only agenda is indulging in corruption and taking commissions. These parties are of the family, by the family and for the family. The president, chief executive officer, treasurer, general manager, shift manager and manager — all belong to the same family. They hire leaders from other parties only as supporting staff,” he said.
He said for these parties, democracy would mean only family enterprise. “No decision can be taken by any other member of the party, other than these family members. Every decision the party takes is only for the benefit of this family,” he said.
Modi said for the BJP, the entire nation was like a family and the people were its family members. “Whatever the BJP does, it is meant for the welfare and development of the entire nation,” he asserted.
The PM said across the country, the support in the BJP had been on the rise with all sections of the society — women, youth, students, farmers and workers showing tremendous faith in his leadership. “They are aware that whatever Modi guarantees, he will implement them. So is the case with the people of Telangana,” he said.
Telangana will be among five states — including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram — that will likely pick new assemblies by the end of the year. Among these, the BJP is in power only in Madhya Pradesh of its own, and in an alliance in Mizoram.
The Congress, with whom Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao once allied, is making a big political push to claim the state’s assembly. On September 18, the party made the promise of six “guarantees” if it came to power, including a cash assistance to women and farmers, and housing assistance for the poor.
On Sunday, Modi responded with his own launch of projects. Addressing a separate gathering at Mahabubnagar, Modi announced the setting up of a National Turmeric Board, a long pending demand from farmers in the state.
The Prime Minister also announced a central university will come up exclusively for tribals at Mulugu. “This central tribal university will be named after tribal deities Sammakka and Sarakka and it will be set up at a cost of ₹900 crore,” he said.
A third key announcement related to the Nagpur-Vijaywada economic corridor, for which he laid foundation stones to mark the beginning of road projects.
“As part of the economic corridor, economic hubs have been identified. These included a special economic zone, five mega food parks, four fishing seafood clusters, three pharma and medical clusters and one textile park,” he said, adding that they would provide employment opportunities to the youth.
