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No early polls, Telangana election as per schedule, BRS MLA says quoting KCR
2023 Telangana Assembly election: The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi won a massive 88 of the 119 Assembly seats in the 2018 election and is hoping for an even bigger win this year - 95 seats.
Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, or KCR, will not call for snap polls and the 2023 Assembly election will be held per schedule - in December - ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC Koushik Reddy said Friday quoting his party leader. Reddy was quoted by news agency ANI as saying the chief minister told BRS members of his decision at a national executive meeting Friday.
"No early polls… BRS will go into elections as per schedule. Padayatras (foot marches) should be conducted across the state. Leaders should go (and interact with the) public… Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said in the national executive meeting today," Reddy said.
KCR said this in November last year; at a joint meeting of the party's legislature, parliamentary and state executive bodies he said: "There is no question of going in for early elections. They will be held next December as per schedule." KCR - aware of the strength of the BJP's election machinery - also warned his party to 'start making the preparations to face battle in earnest without scope for laxity'.
READ | No question of early polls to Telangana assembly, says KCR
He had then also accused the BJP of using central investigative agencies to lure away BRS lawmakers and destabilise his government - a charge levied frequently by other opposition parties and voiced this week by his party in connection with corruption charges against his daughter and MLC K Kavitha.
"…to lure our MLAs… with threat to order raids by CBI, ED. What is atrocious is that they even used the tactics against even my daughter Kavitha," he said then.
Kavitha will be questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday in connection with the alleged excise policy scam over which Aam Aadmi Party leader and ex-Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was arrested.
READ | 'Ready to give answers...': K Kavitha on ED summons
On Thursday Kavitha hit out at the ED and accused it of violating a 'fundamental law for women'. She also accused the BJP of using the ED as a 'back door' ahead of the Telangana election.
READ | 'Fundamental law for women...': Telangana MLC K Kavitha slams ED over Delhi excise case summons
Telangana will vote for a new government this year and a fierce contest is expected between the ruling BRS and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, with KCR's prime ministerial ambitions also in the balance. Reports suggested the chief minister could call for an early election to stymie his rivals.
Senior BJP leaders, including union home minister Amit Shah and party boss JP Nadda met last week to prep for such an eventuality.
READ | Telangana election: Shah, Nadda lead BJP prep amid early poll reports
Telangana state unit chief Sanjay Bandi and state-in-charge Tarun Chug were at the meeting. Bandi last month said the BJP stood ready for early polls, but also said such talk was an attempt by the BRS to 'divert attention from real issues'.
