KCR scared of anti-incumbency factor, say Congress, BJP

Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao came under fire from the opposition Congress and the BJP for his decision to dissolve the assembly nine months ahead of the completion of its term.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao came under fire from the opposition Congress and the BJP on Thursday for his decision to dissolve the assembly nine months ahead of the completion of its term.

K Chandrasekhar Rao ’s Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) had swept to power in June 2014 winning 63 seats in the 119-member House. (AP File Photo)

Within a couple of hours of the dissolution of the assembly, the Congress which had 13 seats in the last assembly, declared that it was ready to face the assembly elections whenever they are held. However, it questioned the propriety of going in for early elections without any proper rhyme or reason.

Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) had swept to power in June 2014 winning 63 seats in the 119-member House. The party’s tally later went up to 90 due to defection of MLAs from the Congress, the TDP, the YSR Congress and the CPI, besides two independents.

“It only shows the dictatorial mentality of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. By going in for early polls, he has indirectly admitted that his party would lose the elections, if they are held as per the schedule in April,” AICC general secretary in-charge of Telangana affairs R C Khuntia said.

Telangana PCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy said there was no meaning in KCR’s reasoning for going for the polls. “If his government is really doing so well for the people, why should he blame the opposition criticism for his decision to dissolve the assembly? The fact is that he has not fulfilled many of his major promises made before 2014. He is afraid of people’s backlash. Whatever he is now claiming are blatant lies,” he said.

The PCC chief has been holding a series of meetings with his party office bearers for the last two days to work out the election strategy in the wake of the talk of early elections. On Wednesday, he came out with a mini manifesto making several promises to the people including waiver of crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh in one go, payment of Rs 2 lakh subsidy for weaker section housing, free power supply to SCs and STs up to 200 units a month, free supply of six gas cylinders to all families under below poverty line, distribution of bicycles to girls studying seventh class to Intermediate free of cost etc.

Reddy also announced that the party would kick off its poll campaign with a massive public meeting at Nizamabad or Karimnagar. “We are planning to invite UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to the meeting. The schedule would be finalised in a day or two,” he said.

Meanwhile, Telangana BJP leaders, too, are gearing up to face the early elections to the state assembly. “We are ready to face the elections. There is absolutely no worry,” state BJP president Dr K Laxman said.

Stating that KCR could not give proper reasoning for dissolving the assembly for early elections, Laxman sought to know why KCR had gone back from his earlier stand of holding simultaneous elections to the assembly and Parliament. “Obviously, he is scared of growing anti-incumbency,” he said.

The BJP leaders are planning to meet the Governor to demand imposition of President’s Rule in the state in view of the dissolution of the assembly. They are apprehensive that the TRS might misuse the power in the elections.

BJP national president Amit Shah, who had a brief meeting with local BJP leaders at Hyderabad airport during his transit stop a couple of days ago, assured them that he would take personal responsibility of steering the party in the ensuing elections. He is expected to make a whirl wind tour of Telangana later this month, a party leader said.

The BJP had won only five seats in the last assembly elections.