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April 17 Bypolls: Vote for TRS, if you want development, says KCR
Hyderabad: Stating that voting for the opposition in a by-election would not fetch any benefits to the people, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday called upon the voters of Nagarjuna Sagar assembly constituency in Nalgonda district to vote for the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi(TRS) for the comprehensive development of the constituency
Hyderabad: Stating that voting for the opposition in a by-election would not fetch any benefits to the people, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday called upon the voters of Nagarjuna Sagar assembly constituency in Nalgonda district to vote for the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi(TRS) for the comprehensive development of the constituency.
“You cannot feed the donkeys and then milk the cow, expecting that it would give the milk. If you want the development of the constituency, you have to think wisely and vote for the TRS,” KCR said, addressing a big rally at Halia town, which is part of the Nagarjunasagar assembly constituency and is going for a by-poll on April 17.
The by-election was necessitated after the death of sitting TRS legislator Nomula Narasimhaiah due to ill-health in January. He cautioned the people against getting carried away by the promises and false propaganda of the opposition parties. “You don’t have to vote going by even my promises. But I request you to judge the performance of the TRS government in the last six years,” he said.
Recalling the struggle waged by the TRS to achieve the statehood for Telangana region, KCR said Telangana was like an orphan before the formation of TRS. “The Congress leaders from Telangana were responsible for the sorry state of affairs in Telangana while it was combined with Andhra Pradesh. Had they worked with commitment for the upliftment of the region, the TRS would not have been born,” he said.
He lashed out at veteran Congress leader and former minister K Jana Reddy, who represented Nagarjuna sagar constituency in the past and was contesting the elections again. “In his three-decades of experience as a legislator, he could not bring even a degree college to this constituency,” he criticised.
The chief minister vowed to complete all the pending lift irrigation schemes, particularly the Nellikal Lift Irrigation Scheme, that would create irrigation facility for major portion of Nagarjunasagar within next one and a half year.
He also promised to provide Godavari River water to irrigate the ayacut under Nagarjunasagar. He declared that he would not seek votes in the next elections without completing the lift irrigation schemes.
On Tuesday, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) had sought immediate intervention of the Election Commission to stop the distribution of money, liquor allegedly by the ruling TRS leaders in Nagarjuna Sagar assembly constituency.
In his letter addressed to Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy said that even in the recent MLC elections from Graduates’ Constituencies last month, the ruling TRS party had resorted to the huge distribution of cash and liquor.
“It was so rampant that the TRS cadre was openly distributing approximately ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 per vote and liquor for several days before the election and also on polling day near the polling booths itself,” the Congress leader alleged.
“Despite my written complaints (with evidence) to CEO of Telangana and district officials with videos of TRS leaders distributing money, no action was taken. It is widely perceived that the ruling TRS party may have spent more than ₹100 crores in each MLC constituency. The same situation is now continuing in the ongoing Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly by-election (polling on 17th April 2021) in Telangana,” the letter stated. He further alleged that Sarpanches and other elected representatives of the congress party are being purchased by TRS party leaders from outside. He further requested that Central forces must check posts and check all vehicles for cash and liquor.
With Agency inputs
