‘If BRS is defeated, you will lose’: Telangana CM to voters

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Gouri Satish said it was a fact that KCR could become the CM only because the Congress had granted separate statehood to Telangana

Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday cautioned the people of the state against taking a wrong decision and bringing back the “dark ages” of the Congress governments of the past.

Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said he had done his best for the Telangana and it was now the turn of the people to do their bit to ensure continuity of the progress and development (ANI)

“It is my responsibility to caution you as a person who fought for Telangana and brought it on the path of progress. If you defeat our party in the elections, we have nothing to lose or gain. We shall happily take rest for the next five years. But you are going to lose heavily,” KCR, as the chief minister is called, said, addressing an election rally at Achampet in Nagarkurnool district.

The chief minister said he had done his best for the Telangana and it was now the turn of the people to do their bit to ensure continuity of the progress and development. “Compare the last nine and a half years of our government with the previous Congress governments, before exercising your franchise,” he said.

He refuted the claim of the Congress that it had granted statehood to Telangana and hence, the people should vote for it. “In fact, it was the Congress which was responsible for the merger of Telangana with Andhra in 1956. Whenever there were agitations for separate Telangana, the Congress governments resorted to killing of innocent people. During the 1969 Telangana agitation, the then Congress government had shot dead 400 people and imprisoned lakhs of protesters,” he pointed out.

KCR said it was only after he had started the movement for a separate Telangana in 2002, the Congress had come down and came to power with his support. “It made the people of Telangana suffer for 10 years between 2004 and 2014. It was only after I took up fast unto death and mobilised the support of 32 parties, the Congress was forced to concede Telangana,” he recalled.

KCR said even now, the Congress was not interested in the development and welfare of Telangana, but in grabbing power and authority. “While we have ensured that farmers get round-the-clock free power supply, the Congress wants to restrict the power supply to only three hours. In Karnataka, the Congress government has failed to give even five hours of power to agriculture, as a result of which crops are getting dried up,” he said.

He also cautioned the people against the top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders coming from Delhi and making tall promises. “If you start believing their words, the situation would be square one and Telangana would go to dogs. I cannot do anything then and fight for you. It is for you to do the fighting,” he said.

At another public rally at Munugode, KCR recalled how his government had brought safe drinking water to every household and mitigated the perennial problem of fluorosis in the area. “Those who could not provide potable water to the people are now challenging me. The people should judge who is right and who is wrong,” he said.

At the Wanaparthy rally, KCR said the victory of the BRS would mean people’s victory. “You should have discussions at every village to judge the performance of our government, in comparison with the previous governments. Elections will come and go, but the people should win. Only then can you witness the real development,” he added.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) official spokesperson Gouri Satish said it was a fact that KCR could become the chief minister only because the Congress had granted separate statehood to Telangana.

“Now, the chief minister is projecting the Congress as a villain of Telangana and ridiculing its contribution. He is trying to hoodwink the people by distorting history only to garner votes in the elections and come to power for a third term,” she said.

Accusing the BRS government of ruining the state’s economy, the Congress spokesperson said KCR was creating a false narrative that the state would collapse if the Congress was voted to power. “He thinks people would believe him, if he speaks lies 100 times,” she said.