In today's episode of 'The Countdown' with Prannoy Roy, the critical question of who will win Telangana this time is the big discussion. The Lok Sabha election is a major battle between the BJP and the Congress - but are these national parties relevant in Telangana? The countdown team traveled the length and breadth of the state speaking to rural and urban voters. Telangana's Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, actor-turned politician Pawan Kalyan and the Congress's Komtireddy Venkat Reddy and Uttam Kumar Reddy join Prannoy Roy, Shekhar Gupta and Uma Sudhir for some interesting insights.
Here are the highlights of today's episode of 'The Countdown':
#TheCountdown | Telangana Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy on party's poor show in state assembly elections pic.twitter.com/olMX5vqppD
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 7, 2019
"He (PM Modi) did not deliver": Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao#TheCountdown #Telangana pic.twitter.com/Vd1KhOtJpV
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 7, 2019
#TheCountdown | "People don't want freebies. They say 'give us future for next 25 years'": Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan pic.twitter.com/uKMxRgbFcs
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 7, 2019
#TheCountdown | Pawan Kalyan on Jana Sena's alliance with Mayawati's BSP pic.twitter.com/4gixTzFhIu
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 7, 2019
#TheCountdown | "Not right to mock Rahul Gandhi," says Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan pic.twitter.com/0UjPrmz0Yx
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 7, 2019
"What do I have to lose": Actor-turned politician Pawan Kalyan#TheCountdown #Telangana pic.twitter.com/iKcQFmhvKL
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 7, 2019
"BJP and Congress have miserably failed. There is a need for a new alternative": Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao#TheCountdown #Telangana pic.twitter.com/beRGSGcSYk
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 7, 2019
"No single party will form the government... there will be a coalition government at the centre": Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao #TheCountdown #Telangana pic.twitter.com/yitqBHImT3
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 7, 2019
"Huge money being offered": Telangana Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy on MLAs switching sides#TheCountdown #Telangana pic.twitter.com/dcv9KMmLjx
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 7, 2019
Q: What is the loyalty of Congress people if they can go away like that with little threats and little bit of bribe?
But i can't tell.. one of my MLA.. same native place..
Q: He's a rich man now?
A: He's a rich man...
A: I'll tell you... there was a contractor who became an MLA with the congress...he said my bills were 2-3 crores.. I have no option. I'll go bankrupt if I don't switch. (A third person says 25 crore...25 is the minimum.)
"BJP won't get power on its own as it did in 2014. They are bound to lose seats in all the states where they gained last time. It won't be the same game. 2019 will be totally different from 2014."
"Things appear very clear to me that no single party will form the government in the country, results will be surprising. I foresee a situation where regional parties have to work together and gain a say in the post-poll scenario, so that the country will benefit. There will be a coalition government at the centre."
BJP and Congress have miserably failed in delivering to the nation. I personally feel there is a vacuum in the country, there is a need for a new alternative. That's why I was proposing to establish a national party if required, with like-minded parties. That will solve the whole problem."
"Unfortunately, we have been discussing things in the country, leader-centric, person-centric. But, it should be issues-centric."
I think after this election there will be a consensus among like-minded people. There is a discussion that there should be a non-Congress, non-BJP government."
"Now, in our country, regional parties cannot be ruled out. Congress, BJP are more centripetal. People have realised this, which is why they are adopting regional parties."
"There was a fashion of regional parties supporting BJP or Congress. Now that time is gone. It has to be other way around. Why can't national parties support the regional parties?"
Becoming Prime Minister is not my motive. It's not my agenda too. It's not the Prime Ministership that matters.
