Chandrababu Naidu "Thief And Traitor", Says Telangana Chief Minister KCR

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao has lashed out at his counterpart in Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu, calling him a "thief and a traitor". "People should not support the traitor of Telangana," he said, addressing a public meeting in Nizamabad on Wednesday evening.

Mr Rao, popularly known as KCR, tore into Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for its alliance with the Congress. "If you were desperate, you should have asked me, I would have given you a few seats," said KCR, also making a direct reference to the note-for-vote case involving allegations that the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister tried to bribe a nominated lawmaker for the Member of the Legislative Council elections in 2015. Mr Naidu was apparently heard on tape offering inducement to the lawmaker.

"He is an evil person, a thief who got caught. Do we want such a person to still rule us? Aren't the years of enslavement that we suffered enough? We no longer need to be slaves to Delhi and Andhra,'' the Chief Minister said.

Revanth Reddy, a former TDP leader who is now the working president of Telangana Congress, had been caught on camera allegedly offering money to the lawmaker on behalf of Mr Naidu. Mr Reddy had even gone to jail and is now facing Income Tax raids. Yesterday, Mr Reddy and his associate were questioned for over four hours by the I-T department.

This comes at a time when sources indicate that the Congress and the TDP in Telangana are close to an agreement on seat sharing for the assembly polls, with the TDP likely to contest in 16 of 119 seats. Professor Kodandaram's Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) may be given six seats, sources have told NDTV.

The Congress, TDP, TJS and Left parties have announced plans for a grand alliance to defeat the TRS in the assembly elections. The Congress has officially started its campaign after a puja on Thursday.

KCR had dissolved the state assembly on September 6, presumably hoping to take the opposition by surprise with early elections.

The Election Commission may announce the election dates for Telangana on October 9 if the final voter list is announced on October 8.

Yesterday, the Chief Election Commissioner had stopped the KCR government from distributing 95 lakh free saris during a floral festival celebrated by Telangana women, as it would violate the poll code of conduct.