‘Telangana Rashtriya Samiti will be a distant second’: Congress

 

Every Congress candidate is engaged in brisk campaigning now. I still have no doubts about the party sweeping the polls this time. Telangana people wanted a separate state and it was granted by the Congress. They are very good at heart, they will express their gratitude towards the Congress by giving a massive mandate. There is no question of a hung House. We will be No. 1, TRS may be distant No. 2 and TD-BJP may be far behind in No. 3.

 

 

You are talking about emotions and aggressiveness, but where is the need for that? More than the tenor of the speech, it is the message that’s always important. The 60,000 people who had gathered for the Karimnagar meeting is not important. The rest of the 3,99,40,000 people of Telangana got her message that the Congress had fulfilled their aspiration.

 

And it is the time for Telangana people to show their gratitude towards Congress which they are going to. Sonia’s message is stronger and it has reached the masses. Everyone needs to understand that it was only the Congress that was able to field candidates in 100 per cent seats in all local bodies and municipal bodies polls in Telangana, no other party did so.

 

 

Yes, on April 27 she will be visiting Medak district. Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Mahbubnagar and Nizamabad on April 21 and Warangal and Hyderabad city (for a road show) on April 25. Our biggest asset is granting Telangana state. Similarly our track record of fulfillment of 95 per cent of our promises made in the previous election manifesto also gives us confidence to face the electorate.

 

 

When Telangana state was not granted or delayed, even at that time Mr Rao did not get seats. Now when Telangana state has become a reality, how can he expect that he will get seats? Why should Telangana people prefer him now and for what? Did he ever talk in Parliament on the Telangana issue? Never.

 

How can he think that Telangana people will believe that he was responsible for Telangana with just two MPs in his party and not the Congress or our leader Sonia Gandhi whose firm conviction alone ensured passage of the Bill in Parliament. Mr Chandrasekhar Rao does not enjoy credibility like the Congress.

 

When the Telangana agitation was at its peak and when Telangana people were convinced that there was enormous delay in sanctioning a separate state, they supported the TRS only in the bypolls. Because people thought by re-electing the TRS MLAs, the issue of Telangana would remain active and the agitation would not be diluted. However, if you see Mr Rao’s performance, in 2004 or in 2009 general elections, he took more seats, but could win only a few. 

 

When the Telangana issue was very much alive, that was his performance. Now Telangana state is a reality and he is contesting alone. I think Mr Chandrasekhar Rao may not cross the seats that he won in 2004 (26 Assembly) this time.

 

 

Not at all. As I told you he will not cross 26 seats this time too. We are going to sweep the polls and will form the next government, he may be our distant competitor in the ultimate tally. Telangana people want development, welfare and yet they are peace loving. They never want a person like Mr Rao to lead them. His agenda, his style, his speeches are not needed for the Telangana people.

 

 

His is a politics of hatred, he doesn’t have credibility, conviction or commitment to the cause. For example he went to Andhole segment in Medak district and talked about Singur Reservoir waters. He wants Singur waters to be allotted to Medak farmers only. I am asking him now, just for the sake of one Assembly segment, can he dare to antagonise everyone staying in Hyderabad, the capital city?

 

If the entire Singur water is allotted to one segment, how about meeting drinking water requirements of the millions of people in Hyderabad? Congress government has already earmarked 4 tmc ft of Singur water to Ghanpur Ayacut and a lift irrigation scheme has been sanctioned and it is working. So what is the great knowledge that Mr Rao possesses? If he is having that much knowledge how can he talk nonsense on Krishna surplus water allocation to Mahbubnagar? What was he doing for 30 years in Telugu Desam? Was he not aware that the whole assured waters were distributed by the Bachawat Tribunal way back in 1976 and only surplus waters remain for new projects? 

 

He went to Nalgonda and talked about the fluoride problem and accused us. Everyone in Nalgonda knows that we have solved the fluoride problem in 80 per cent of villages in the district by supplying Krishna river water. When that was so, who is he going to fool? Mr Rao issues foolish and silly statements.

 

Unlike him, the Congress will always try to address the problem and solve them, like it did for Telangana. But Mr Rao is still campaigning against the Congress as if the Telangana state is not yet granted. He is living in a fool’s paradise.

 

 

That is what I am pointing out. There is a presence of sizeable settlers in 45 out of 119 Assembly segments in Telangana state. They are also Telangana residents and enjoy equal rights. Why should one antagonise and differentiate between certain citizens in the region? Congress never preaches or practices hatred. That is the reason Congress is a universally accepted party. This particular quality is the real strength of the party.

 

 

This is not true. Who is now interested in backstabbing others? Where is the time? There’s only 12 days left to campaign. In fact initially we thought of organising a bus yatra with all leaders for campaigning. But due to exigencies of workload now everyone seems to be confining themselves to their own constituencies and doing brisk campaigning. No one is interested to cross the borders of their seats, how can there be infighting etc.?