Congress Delayed Telangana Formation, Dump It In Bay Of Bengal, Says KCR

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday accused the Congress party of delaying the formation of Telangana state by 14 years even after promising it, and asked the people of the state to vote based on the credentials of parties in the November 30 assembly polls.

At a poll rally here, Mr Rao, also known as KCR, asked people to "dump" (defeat) the Congress party as its leaders are saying that they would abolish 'Dharani', an integrated land management portal of the state government.

The BRS chief requested the people to vote for his party's candidate, and told the people to be aware of the track record of political parties before casting their vote for them.

“They (Congress) tried to destroy our party. They tried to buy our MLAs. Despite their promise of formation of Telangana, they gave (the state) only after 14 years of our struggle, and that too only after I undertook a fast unto death demanding statehood,” Mr Rao said.

He said several people had died during the statehood agitation, as the Congress party delayed its approval for a new state.

He alleged that the Congress Party leaders says that 24-hour free power for farmers is not required and that it would also abolish Dharani, which, he said is likely to bring back the regime of middlemen.

“If they want to throw Dharani into the Bay of Bengal, what should we do? We should throw them only in the Bay of Bengal. Only if it is done, Telangana will be fine,” he said.

Hitting out at the NDA Government at the Centre, Rao alleged that out of 157 new medical colleges sanctioned in the country, none was given to Telangana.

“I wrote 100 letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Navodaya Schools. There is a rule that every district should have one. Not even one was given (to Telangana),” Mr Rao charged.

He asked people to think why they should vote for BJP which has not established even a single medical college or Navodaya School to the state.

Speaking about the undivided Mahabubnagar District (Palamuru), KCR said his government has completed several projects bringing water to parched lands. He also promised to complete the pending projects if the BRS is voted to power again.

He requested the people not to vote casually, but to evaluate the behaviour of various political parties and exercise their franchise by voting for a party that works for the poor and farmers.

"Elections will come and go. People should vote for the right person," he said, referring to his party's candidates.

Listing out the BRS's poll promises, KCR said social pensions will gradually be increased after the polls.

He said all 93 lakh BPL families in the state will be given fine rice after BRS comes back to power.

Mr Rao also attacked Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar over his alleged comments that his government was providing free power supply for five hours to farmers.

"Telangana provides 24-hour free power supply to ryots," he pointed out.

He also said as long as KCR is alive Telangana would remain a secular state.

Mr Rao, in a whirlwind tour, addressed four rallies today.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)