Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's move to announce a majority of his party candidates for the state elections that are yet to be announced, is a mark of confidence, leaders of his party said. Its full measure is repeating all the sitting members barring seven, they said.
The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi has announced candidates for 115 of the 119 seats in the state assembly. So far, only seven sitting MLAs appears to have been dropped.
"Our estimate is we will win 95-105 seats. Not just MLA, even MP seats. We want to win 17 (Lok Sabha) seats. We and MIM are friendly parties," Mr Rao told reporters today.
His party leaders say this will also bring in the first mover advantage -- which the party accrued in 2018 when it won its second term in power. "Even if there is some anti-incumbency against any individual MLA, people will vote for KCR and the BRS template of development and welfare," said senior party leader B Vinod.
The party claims its development template has led to a per capita income rise. Its welfare schemes cover every critical sector -- Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima for farmers, Dalit Bandhu for Scheduled Castes, BC Bandhu for Backward Classes and pensions for the elderly, widows, disabled and other disadvantaged sections.
The Chief Minister has brushed off the possibility of any real competition, not just from the BJP, but also the ascendant Congress which won a massive mandate in neighbouring Karnataka.
Telangana is not Karnataka, Mr Rao has said, and suggested that Siddaramaiah government is already floundering. The Congress, he said, has been unable to fulfill its pre-poll promises in Karnataka.
The statements of the Chief Minister and his party leaders, though, are at variance with Mr Rao's move to contest elections from two seats -- Kamareddy in addition to his Gajwel assembly seat. In ordinary circumstances, it indicates a nervousness. The party leaders, though, laughed off the possibility.
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